个 (gè) — The Universal Measure Word
The most common and versatile measure word in Chinese
Category: Measure Words
The Rule
个 (gè) is the default measure word used with people, abstract concepts, and many general nouns. When in doubt, 个 is usually acceptable, though using the specific measure word is more natural.
Why This Matters
English doesn't have measure words (you say 'a person', not 'a unit-of person'). In Chinese, you must put a measure word between a number/demonstrative and a noun: 一个人 (one MW person), not 一人. Think of it like how English requires 'a piece of paper' — Chinese requires classifiers for EVERYTHING.
Examples
• 一个人 (yí gè rén) — "one person" [个 is the standard measure word for people in casual speech] • 三个苹果 (sān gè píngguǒ) — "three apples" [个 works for most round fruits] • 这个问题 (zhège wèntí) — "this question/problem" [个 used with abstract nouns] • 哪个国家 (nǎ gè guójiā) — "which country" [个 with question words] • 两个小时 (liǎng gè xiǎoshí) — "two hours" [个 used as time measure word]
Common Mistakes
❌ 一人 (yī rén) — omitting the measure word ✅ 一个人 (yí gè rén) → You cannot put a number directly before a noun in Chinese. The measure word is mandatory. Think: number + measure word + noun. ❌ Using 个 for flat objects: 一个纸 (yí gè zhǐ) ✅ 一张纸 (yì zhāng zhǐ) — use 张 for flat things → While 个 is a safe fallback, using the wrong measure word sounds uneducated. Flat things like paper use 张. ❌ Saying 二个 (èr gè) for 'two of something' ✅ 两个 (liǎng gè) → When counting things (not just reciting numbers), use 两 instead of 二 before measure words. 二 is for phone numbers, math, and ordinals.
Quick Tip
个 is your safety net. If you forget the specific measure word, 个 will usually be understood. But learning proper measure words makes you sound much more fluent.
个 is your safety net. If you forget the specific measure word, 个 will usually be understood. But learning proper measure words makes you sound much more fluent.
Examples
Common Mistakes
Incorrect: 一人 (yī rén) — omitting the measure word → Correct: 一个人 (yí gè rén). You cannot put a number directly before a noun in Chinese. The measure word is mandatory. Think: number + measure word + noun.
Incorrect: Using 个 for flat objects: 一个纸 (yí gè zhǐ) → Correct: 一张纸 (yì zhāng zhǐ) — use 张 for flat things. While 个 is a safe fallback, using the wrong measure word sounds uneducated. Flat things like paper use 张.
Incorrect: Saying 二个 (èr gè) for 'two of something' → Correct: 两个 (liǎng gè). When counting things (not just reciting numbers), use 两 instead of 二 before measure words. 二 is for phone numbers, math, and ordinals.
Quiz
Which is correct for 'three questions'?