个案

• Pinyin: gè àn
• Hanzi breakdown: 个 = 人 + 丨(single individual); 案 = 木 (wood — writing table) + 女 (phonetic — records kept on a desk)

Meaning

Individual case; a specific instance treated on its own merits rather than as part of a general pattern or group.

Widely used in legal, medical, social work, research, and policy contexts. 个案研究 (case study) is a standard research method. In social work, 个案工作 refers to individual casework. The term emphasises the uniqueness of each case rather than applying blanket rules.

Examples

1. 法官强调该判决仅针对此次个案的特殊情况，不应被视为类似案件的普遍适用先例。 The judge emphasized that the ruling applies only to the special circumstances of this particular case and should not be treated as a precedent that generally applies to similar cases.
2. 研究团队选取了十五个典型个案进行深入分析，以揭示该群体共同面临的社会困境。 The research team selected fifteen representative cases for in-depth analysis to reveal the shared social hardships faced by the group.
3. 社会工作者为每位服务对象建立详细的个案档案，记录其背景、需求及干预进展。 The social worker created a detailed case file for each client, recording their background, needs, and the progress of interventions.

Usage Guide

Context: law, medicine, social work, research

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这是一个极为特殊的个案，不能简单套用现有框架，需要专家团队逐项评估。(This is an extremely unusual case — it cannot simply be handled with the existing framework; a panel of experts must assess it item by item.)
• 心理咨询师在处理每个个案时，必须保持客观中立的立场，避免主观臆断。(When handling each individual case, a psychological counsellor must maintain an objective and neutral stance and avoid subjective assumptions.)

Don't Say

• 个案等于案例 — 个案 emphasises the singularity and individuality of the specific case; 案例 is broader and used in teaching/analysis without the same emphasis on uniqueness

Origin & History

个 = 人 + 丨(individual, single); 案 = 木 + 女 (writing table — records, files, cases)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal