各个

• Pinyin: gè gè
• Hanzi breakdown: 各 = 夂 (movement) + 口 (mouth, phonetic); 个 = simplified pictograph of a person

Meaning

Each; every; all (of a group). Used to refer to every individual member within a set or category.

各个 is placed before a noun to indicate each and every individual item or person in a group. It emphasises distribution across all members rather than the group as a whole. Commonly used in formal and semi-formal contexts when listing or surveying different elements, departments, or people.

Examples

1. 各个部门的负责人都参加了今天的会议。 The person in charge of each department attended today's meeting.
2. 老师希望各个同学都能认真完成这次的作业。 The teacher hopes that every student will complete this homework carefully.
3. 公司在各个城市都设有专门的办事处。 The company has dedicated offices in every city.

Usage Guide

Context: work, formal, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 各个小组的代表请准备好发言材料。(Representatives from each group, please prepare your speaking materials.)
• 我们需要了解各个方案的优缺点。(We need to understand the pros and cons of each plan.)

Don't Say

• 不要把'各个'和'各种'混用 — '各个'指每个个体，'各种'指各种类型 (Don't confuse 各个 with 各种 — 各个 refers to each individual item, while 各种 refers to various types or kinds)

Origin & History

各 means 'each/every' and 个 is a general measure word for individuals. Together they reinforce the meaning of 'each individual one', used as a distributive pronoun or modifier.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal