个别 meaning in English
individually; one by one; just one or two; exceptional; rare
Meaning of 个别
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- individually; one by one
- just one or two; exceptional; rare
How to use 个别
个别 often describes a small minority, like 'just a few' or 'isolated cases,' and it is common before nouns such as 人 or 情况. It can also mean 'individually,' as in 个别辅导 (gèbié fǔdǎo, one-on-one tutoring). Example: 只有个别学生没来。 (Zhǐyǒu gèbié xuéshēng méi lái.) Only a few students did not come.
个 (gè) is the measure word for single items, and 别 (bié) means separate or other. Picture setting one item apart from the group, and you get 个别: a separate, individual case.
Common mistake: Learners confuse 个别 with 特别 (tèbié). 特别 means special or very, while 个别 means only a few or individual, so 个别好 is wrong when you mean 'especially good.' Also keep the fourth tone on 个 (gè) in this word, not the neutral tone it often has as a measure word.
个别 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
个 gè · classifier used before a noun that has … · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
别 bié · to leave · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 个别.
| 别人 | biérén | other people; others; other person |
| 别的 | biéde | else; other |
| 特别 | tèbié | unusual; special; very; especially; particularly |
| 个子 | gèzi | stature; height; size (of a person or object); (agriculture) bundle of cereal stalks tied |
| 整个 | zhěnggè | whole; entire |
| 个人 | gèrén | an individual; oneself; (attributive) personal; one's own |
| 区别 | qūbié | difference; to distinguish |
| 分别 | fēnbié | to part; to leave each other; to distinguish; to tell apart |
| 告别 | gàobié | to leave; to part from; to bid farewell to; to say goodbye to |
| 个性 | gèxìng | individuality; personality |
| 性别 | xìngbié | sex; gender |
| 各个 | gègè | every; various |
Questions about 个别
What does 个别 mean?
个别 (gèbié) means "individually; one by one; just one or two; exceptional; rare" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 个别?
个别 is made of 2 characters: 个 (3 strokes), 别 (7 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 个别 an HSK word?
Yes. 个别 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 个别 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 个别 is written 個別.
Is 个别 the same as 个人?
No. 个人 (gèrén) means an individual person or personal, as in 个人意见 (personal opinion). 个别 points to a few exceptions within a group, as in 个别人 (a few people).
Can 个别 be used as an adverb?
Yes. It can come before a verb to mean 'individually' or 'separately,' as in 个别谈话 (gèbié tánhuà, to talk with someone one-on-one). In this use it often appears in formal or school and work settings.