Definitions
Etymology
Pictograph of one stalk of bamboo. Same as one half of the character for bamboo (竹).
About
Originally a measure word for bamboo stems, 个 evolved into the language’s most common classifier. Its traditional form (個) combines the person radical (亻) with the phonetic component 固, while the simplified version (个) uses an older pictograph of an umbrella-like top (人) over a vertical stroke (丨). It appears between a numeral or demonstrative and a noun to count items, often replacing more specific measure words in casual speech, and also functions as a structural particle in certain verb-complement constructions.
Example Sentences Hide
我有一个苹果。
他买了三个面包。
这个人很友好。
整个城市都很安静。
请你给我一个机会。
那个问题有点难。
我每个月都去图书馆。
他一个人完成了所有工作。