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某个 (mǒu gě) — a certain, some (used attributively before a noun to indicate a specific but unnamed person or thing)

Definition

某个 (mǒu ge) means 'a certain' — used before a noun to point to one specific but unnamed person or thing. Always attributive; it has no meaning by itself and takes a measure word (个人, 地方, 计划).

adjective
a certainsome (used attributively before a noun to indicate a specific but unnamed person or thing)

Examples

  • 某个，。
    Zuó tiān wǒ zài jiē shàng yù dào le mǒu gě rén, tā kàn qǐ lái hěn xiàng nǐ de péng you.
    Yesterday I met a certain person on the street; he looked a lot like your friend.
  • 某个，。
    Zhè ge wèn tí zài mǒu gě dì fāng chū xiàn guò, dàn wǒ jì bù qīng le.
    This problem appeared in a certain place, but I can't remember clearly.
  • 某个，。
    Tā tí dào le mǒu gě jì huà, dàn méi gào sù wǒ men xì jié.
    He mentioned a certain plan, but didn't tell us the details.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

某mǒucertain
个gèitem

某 means certain; 个 points to one item.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape shows 木 (tree) with 甘 (sweet); it was originally the form for a Chinese plum, and later became the form for 某.

Open 某 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 個; 个 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
固
固gù個ge
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 个, the form 個 pairs 亻 (person) with 固 as a sound part.

Open 个 →
Appears in
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