Meaning of 各
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- each
- every
How to use 各
各 goes before a noun or measure word to mean each or every, and it often stresses that the members are separate from one another. You will see it in set words like 各位 (gèwèi), 各种 (gèzhǒng), and 各地 (gèdì). Example: 各位同学，请坐。(Gèwèi tóngxué, qǐng zuò.) Everyone, please sit down.
各 is built from 夂 (a foot walking) on top of 口 (a mouth or an opening). Picture each person walking off to their own door, so every one goes their own way.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 各 (gè) with the measure word 个 (gè), because they sound the same. Remember that 个 counts things, as in 一个人, while 各 means each, as in 各人. Also watch the shape: do not confuse 各 with 名 (míng), which has 夕 on top instead of 夂.
各 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.
各 gè · each · 6 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 各.
| 各位 | gèwèi | everybody; all (guests, colleagues etc) |
| 各种 | gèzhǒng | every kind of; all kinds of; various |
| 各自 | gèzì | each; respective |
| 各地 | gèdì | in all parts of (a country); various regions |
| 各个 | gègè | every; various |
| 各式各样 | gèshì-gèyàng | (of) all kinds and sorts; various |
| 各奔前程 | gèbènqiánchéng | each goes his own way (idiom); each person has his own life to lead |
| 世界各地 | shìjiègèdì | all over the world; everywhere |
| 各就各位 | gèjiùgèwèi | (of the people in a group) to get into position (idiom); (athletics) On your mark! |
| 各种各样 | gèzhǒnggèyàng | various kinds; all sorts |
| 各国 | gèguó | each country; every country |
| 各处 | gèchù | every place |
Questions about 各
What does 各 mean?
各 (gè) means "each; every" and is used as a pronoun and adverb.
How do you write 各?
各 is made of 1 character: 各 (6 strokes). That is 6 strokes in total.
Is 各 an HSK word?
Yes. 各 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 各 and 每?
每 (měi) means every and stresses that all members share something, often paired with 都, as in 每天都. 各 stresses that each member is separate or different, as in 各有各的想法 (each has their own ideas). 各 also attaches directly to only some nouns, while 每 usually needs a measure word.
How is 各 used as an adverb?
As an adverb, 各 comes before a verb to mean each does something separately. For example, 两人各说了一句 (liǎng rén gè shuō le yí jù) means the two people each said one sentence. It also appears in patterns like 各买各的 (each pays for their own).