個

Han character

個 (radical 9, 人+8, 10 strokes, cangjie input 人田十口 (OWJR), four-corner 2620₀, composition ⿰亻固)

Glyph origin

Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *kaːls) : semantic 亻 (“person”) + phonetic 固 (OC *kaːs).

Etymology

The semantics may have developed along the grammaticalisation process "bamboo stalk" (箇) > "piece, item" > "classifier for every category of noun" > "possessive particle, generic particle". If so, it would then possibly be cognate with 竿 (OC *kaːn, “bamboo, rod”). Compare Tibetan མཁར་བ (mkhar ba), འཁར་བ ('khar ba, “walking stick, staff”) and Thai ก้าน (gâan, “stem, stalk”).

Pronunciation

Definitions

個

1. piece; item; individual

   個人 / 个人  ―  gèrén  ―  an individual; personal

   個體 / 个体  ―  gètǐ  ―  individuality

2. size; height

   個子 / 个子  ―  gèzi  ―  height; stature

   個兒 / 个儿  ―  gèr  ―  size

3. separate; respective; separately; individually

   個別 / 个别  ―  gèbié  ―  individual; separate; some; a couple of

4. single; alone
5. (dialectal) one
6. The generic classifier for people or for things lacking specific classifiers.

   一個人 / 一个人  ―  yī ge rén  ―  one person

   • 每個人 / 每个人  ―  měi ge rén  ―  every person; everyone

   我有一個問題。 / 我有一个问题。  ―  Wǒ yǒu yī ge wèntí.  ―  I have a question.

   兩個人 / 两个人 [Taiwanese]  ―  nn̄g ê lâng [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  two people

7. Classifier for hours and months.

   一個鐘頭 / 一个钟头  ―  yī ge zhōngtóu  ―  one hour

   九個月 / 九个月  ―  jiǔ ge yuè  ―  nine months

   三個月 / 三个月 [Taiwanese]  ―  saⁿ kò goe̍h [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  two months

8. Alternative classifier, for nouns having specific classifiers. Often colloquial and regional. Usage varies greatly between different topolects.

   一個學校 / 一个学校  ―  yī ge xuéxiào  ―  one school

   • 一個井 / 一个井 [Guangzhou Cantonese]  ―  jat¹ go³ zeng² [Jyutping]  ―  a well
   • 一個房 / 一个房 [Guangzhou Cantonese]  ―  jat¹ go³ fong^4-2 [Jyutping]  ―  a room
9. (Cantonese) Classifier for yuan, dollars, etc., used when followed by cents.

   三個九毫九 / 三个九毫九 [Cantonese]  ―  saam¹ go³ gau² hou⁴ gau² [Jyutping]  ―  three dollars and ninety-nine cents

   • 八個六 / 八个六 [Cantonese]  ―  baat³ go³ luk⁶ [Jyutping]  ―  eight dollars and sixty cents

   • 個半十隻檸檬 [Cantonese, trad.]
     个半十只柠檬 [Cantonese, simp.]

     go³ bun³ sap⁶ zek³ ning⁴ mung^4-1 [Jyutping]

     ten lemons for a dollars and a half

10. (Mandarin, colloquial) Particle, placed between a verb and numbers, showing that the following numbers are approximate, not accurate.

    • 他一下跑個兩三公里都不在話下。 [MSC, trad.]
      他一下跑个两三公里都不在话下。 [MSC, simp.]

      Tā yīxià pǎo ge liǎng sān gōnglǐ dōu bùzàihuàxià. [Pinyin]

      Running two or three kilometers in one go is a piece of cake for him.

    • 他們倆就差個一兩歲。 [MSC, trad.]
      他们俩就差个一两岁。 [MSC, simp.]

      Tāmen liǎ jiù chà ge yī liǎng suì. [Pinyin]

      The age difference between them is only about one or two years.

11. (Mandarin, Cantonese, colloquial) Particle, placed between a verb and its object or complement, adding a sense of ease, swiftness and one-offness to the action.

    • 吃個飯，洗個澡，休息休息 [MSC, trad.]
      吃个饭，洗个澡，休息休息 [MSC, simp.]

      chī ge fàn, xǐ ge zǎo, xiūxi xiūxi [Pinyin]

      have some food, have a shower and have some rest

    • 我們昨天見了個面，聊了聊近況。 [MSC, trad.]
      我们昨天见了个面，聊了聊近况。 [MSC, simp.]

      Wǒmen zuótiān jiàn le ge miàn, liáo le liáo jìnkuàng. [Pinyin]

      We met yesterday, and chatted about how we've been recently.

12. (Mandarin, colloquial) Particle used after 些 (xiē).

    • 那些個年的事現在回憶起來還是記憶猶新。 [MSC, trad.]
      那些个年的事现在回忆起来还是记忆犹新。 [MSC, simp.]

      Nàxiē ge nián de shì xiànzài huíyì qǐlái háishì jìyìyóuxīn. [Pinyin]

      It feels like yesterday when I reminisce about those stories in the past.

13. (dialectal Mandarin) Particle used in some time-related words.
    • 今兒個 / 今儿个  ―  jīn'érge  ―  (dialectal) today
14. (obsolete, Wu, Xiang, Gan, dialectal Cantonese, dialectal Min) (= 搿) this; that
    • 個個人 / 个个人 [Shanghainese]  ―  this person

    • 個隻鴨子勿太酥 [Shanghainese, trad.]
      个只鸭子勿太酥 [Shanghainese, simp.]

      This duck hasn't been cooked long enough for it to become tender.

15. (Cantonese, Wu) Word-initial particle, serving as the definite article.

    • 個人今朝為啥勿來 [Shanghainese, trad.]
      个人今朝为啥勿来 [Shanghainese, simp.]

      Why hasn't that guy come today?

16. (Cantonese, Wu, Teochew) Possessive particle. Equivalent to Mandarin 的 (de).

    → 嘅 (ge3) (Cantonese), 格 (kaq) (Wu)

    • 我個小囡 / 我个小囡 [Shanghainese]  ―  my child

    • 住響你屋企個陳先生係乜嘢人嚟呀？ [Guangzhou Cantonese, trad.]
      住响你屋企个陈先生系乜嘢人嚟呀？ [Guangzhou Cantonese, simp.]

      Zyu⁶ hoeng² nei⁵ uk¹ kei⁵ go³ can⁴ sin¹ saang¹ hai⁶ mat¹ je⁵ jan⁴ lai⁴ aa³? [Jyutping]

      Who is that Mr. Chan that lives at your house?

17. (dialectal) Sentence-final declarative, affirmative, or prohibitive particle. Equivalent to Mandarin 的 (de), 了 (le).

    • 標語勿是我寫個。 [Shanghainese, trad.]
      标语勿是我写个。 [Shanghainese, simp.]

      I didn't write that slogan.

18. (often dialectal) Emphatic particle between a pronoun and a noun, usually to highlight some negative quality of the person.
    • 你個笨蛋！ / 你个笨蛋！  ―  Nǐ ge bèndàn!  ―  You idiot!
    • 佢個人好懶。 / 佢个人好懒。 [Cantonese]  ―  Keoi⁵ go³ jan⁴ hou² laan⁵. [Jyutping]  ―  He/she is such a sluggard.

Compounds

Descendants

Others:

• Vietnamese: cái

Kanji

(grade 5 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Counter

個 (hiragana こ, rōmaji -ko)

1. item, article, thing

   あの枝 (えだ)に桜 (さくら)ん坊 (ぼ)が十 (じゅう)二 (に)個 (こ)だけあります。

   Ano eda ni sakuranbo ga jūni-ko dake arimasu.

   There are only twelve cherries on that branch.

Hanja

個 • (gae) (hangeul 개, McCune–Reischauer kae)

1. a piece
2. a unit
3. an item.

Han character

個 (cá, cái)

1. generic classifier