Chinese Character: 各
1. Character Basics
Radical: 口 (kǒu, mouth, serves as the phonetic component)
Stroke Count: 6
Structure Analysis: Above-below structure, with '夊' (suī, footstep) at the bottom and '口' (kǒu, mouth) at the top. Originally meant "each" or "every", indicating individual entities or separate parts.
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: Gè (Fourth tone)
3. Meaning
Core Meaning: Each; every; respective; various
Detailed Explanation: '各' is used to refer to individual items or people within a group, emphasizing their distinctness or separateness. It often appears in compound words and phrases to indicate distribution or differentiation among multiple entities.
4. Common Words
- 各个 (gè gè): Each and every; various
各个部门都要做好准备。 (Gè gè bùmén dōu yào zuò hǎo zhǔnbèi.) - Every department must be prepared.
- 各自 (gè zì): Each; respective
他们各自有不同的想法。 (Tāmen gèzì yǒu bùtóng de xiǎngfǎ.) - They each have different ideas.
- 各种各样 (gè zhǒng gè yàng): All kinds; various
超市里有各种各样的商品。 (Chāoshì lǐ yǒu gè zhǒng gè yàng de shāngpǐn.) - There are all kinds of goods in the supermarket.
- 各人 (gè rén): Each person; individual
各人有各人的爱好。 (Gè rén yǒu gè rén de àihào.) - Each person has their own hobbies.
- 各地 (gè dì): All places; various regions
来自全国各地的代表参加了会议。 (Lái zì quán guó gè dì de dàibiǎo cānjiā le huìyì.) - Representatives from all over the country attended the meeting.
5. Grammar & Usage
Part of Speech: Primarily used as a pronoun or determiner, but often serves as a morpheme in compound words.
Usage Patterns:
- As a standalone determiner: 各 + (classifier) + (noun) (e.g., 各本书 - gè běn shū, each book)
- In reduplicated form: 各个 (gè gè) meaning "each and every"
- In compound words: 各自 (gè zì), 各位 (gè wèi), 各种 (gè zhǒng)
- In set phrases: 各种各样 (gè zhǒng gè yàng), 各奔东西 (gè bēn dōng xī)
Common Collocations:
- 各个 (gè gè): Each and every
- 各自 (gè zì): Respective
- 各种 (gè zhǒng): Various kinds
- 各位 (gè wèi): All of you
- 各人 (gè rén): Each person
- 各地 (gè dì): All places
6. Cultural Background
'各' is an important character in Chinese that reflects the language's emphasis on both collectivity and individual distinctiveness.
Historical Development: The character '各' originally depicted a person with a foot and a mouth, possibly indicating different people speaking or acting individually.
Cultural Significance: The concept of '各' carries cultural connotations of respecting individual differences while recognizing the collective whole. This is reflected in Chinese proverbs like "各有所长" (gè yǒu suǒ cháng), meaning "each has their own strengths".
Social Context: In Chinese society, '各' is often used in contexts that balance individual rights with collective responsibilities, emphasizing harmony through mutual respect for differences.
Modern Usage: Today, '各' remains widely used in both formal and informal contexts, from official documents to daily conversations, to indicate distribution, variety, or individual distinction.
7. Example Sentence
Example 1:
请各位同学按时到达。 (Qǐng gè wèi tóngxué àn shí dào dá.) - All students, please arrive on time.
Example 2:
我们各自负责不同的任务。 (Wǒmen gèzì fùzé bùtóng de rènwù.) - We each are responsible for different tasks.
Example 3:
这个城市有各种各样的美食。 (Zhè ge chéngshì yǒu gè zhǒng gè yàng de měishí.) - This city has all kinds of delicious food.
8. Memory Tips
Component Analysis: '各' has 6 strokes, with '口' (kǒu, mouth) at the top and '夊' (suī, footstep) at the bottom. This combination suggests the idea of different individuals (represented by footprints) with their own voices (represented by the mouth).
Visual Association: Imagine a group of people, each with their own distinct characteristics, which relates to the meaning of '各' as "each" or "every".
Word Family: Learn words related to '各' to reinforce your memory:
- 各个 (gè gè): Each and every
- 各自 (gè zì): Respective
- 各种 (gè zhǒng): Various kinds
- 各位 (gè wèi): All of you
- 各地 (gè dì): All places
Memory Phrase: "各有各的样，六笔就写好" (Gè yǒu gè de yàng, liù bǐ jiù xiě hǎo) - "Each has its own appearance, written in just six strokes"