个 — measure word
measure word (general)
How to pronounce it
个 is read gè. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
When counting it is read with the neutral tone: ge.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “个”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 个. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 我有一个哥哥wǒyǒuyígegēgeI have one older brother.
- 我有两个弟弟wǒyǒuliǎnggedìdiI have two younger brothers.
- 我有一个女儿wǒyǒuyígenǚ’érI have a daughter.
- 我姐姐有两个孩子wǒjiějieyǒuliǎnggeháiziMy older sister has two kids.
- 这个菜很好吃zhègecàihěnhǎochīThis dish is very tasty.
- 我要一个苹果wǒyàoyígepíngguǒOne apple for me.
More characters by topic — happiness, luck, strength, nature — on the page “Chinese characters with meanings”.
More words from the lesson “How many in your family?”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
What does 个 mean?
个 (gè) means “measure word (general)”.
How do you write 个?
个 is 1 character. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 个?
个 is read gè. Tones: gè — fourth tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“measure word” in the lesson “How many in your family?”
This word is from the topic “Family and people” of HSK 1. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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