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HSK 4

各

each; every; various

pronounneutral
各
gè4th tone

HSK level

1
2
3
4
5
6
Pinyin
gè
Part of speech
pronoun
Level
HSK 4
Strokes
6
Register
neutral

Stroke order for 各

各 is written with 6 strokes. The animation replays automatically.

What does 各 mean?

各 (gè) is a distributive pronoun/determiner meaning 'each,' 'every,' or 'various,' pointing to the individual members of a group considered separately.

It attaches directly before a noun or measure word — 各国 'each country,' 各种 'various kinds,' 各位 'everyone (respectfully addressed).' Two differences from English 'each.' First, 各 often needs no measure word and fuses tightly into compounds (各地, 各人, 各自), whereas English 'each' stays a separate word.

Second, 各 differs from 每 (měi): 每 emphasizes that a rule applies to every single one uniformly ('every day the same'), while 各 emphasizes that the members are different from one another and act separately ('each in their own way'). So 各有各的想法 means 'each has their own idea.' Register is neutral to slightly written; 各位 is polite for addressing a group.

Note: Slightly bookish. In casual speech 每 (měi) or 每个 is more common; 各 feels more written or formal, especially in phrases like 各位 or 各国.

Memory hook: 各 points at members of a group one by one — each one, considered on its own.

Example sentences

各位，请安静一下。

Gèwèi, qǐng ānjìng yíxià.

Everyone, please be quiet for a moment.

polite

商店里有各种水果。

Shāngdiàn lǐ yǒu gèzhǒng shuǐguǒ.

The store has all kinds of fruit.

neutral

我们各自付各自的。

Wǒmen gèzì fù gèzì de.

Let's each pay for our own.

spoken

每个人的想法各不相同。

Měi ge rén de xiǎngfǎ gè bù xiāngtóng.

Everyone's ideas are all different from one another.

written

Common phrases with 各

各位gèwèieveryone (polite address)
各种gèzhǒngvarious kinds; all sorts of
各国gèguóeach/various countries
各自gèzìeach on their own; respectively

Synonyms

每měi

每 stresses uniform application to every single one ('every day I run'). 各 stresses that the individual members differ and act separately ('each has their own opinion'). Use 每 for 'without exception'; use 各 for 'each in its own way.'

Don't confuse 各 with

个gè

个 (same pinyin) is the general measure word ('一个人 one person'). 各 means 'each / every' as a determiner. They sound identical but 各 modifies distribution, 个 counts items.

都dōu

都 means 'all / both,' summing the group together. 各 splits the group into separate individuals. 大家都来了 (all came together) vs 各有各的房间 (each has their own room).

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