Measure word "ge"

The measure word 个 (ge) is the most common measure word. It can be used for any noun if you can't think of a more precise measure word. Also, for many nouns, 个 is the correct measure word.

General structure

The general structure for 个 (and measure words in general) is:

Number + 个 + Noun

You can specify the quantity of any noun with this structure. Note that any time you want to state how many of a noun in Chinese, you probably need a measure word. First get used to doing it with 个.

Examples

  • one person
  • two people
  • 苹果three apples
  • 三明治one sandwich
  • 八十 诗人eighty poets

Omitting the number

If the number is one (1), you can omit it and use 个 by itself. This is equivalent to a or an in English, for example in "a person" or "an idiot."

Some examples of that:

  • 他 是 好人。You are a good person.
  • 那 不 是 苹果。That is an apple.
  • 我 是 美国人。I am an American.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites