How to Write 各 (gè) — Meaning “each; every”

Imagine each person has their own mouth (口) and walks (夂) their own path. The top part looks like a mouth, and the bottom is like legs walking, so think 'each person walks and speaks for themselves.' This visual helps connect the shape to the meaning of 'each; every.'

The top part 口 should be slightly wider and positioned centrally, and the lower part 夂 starts with a left-falling stroke that crosses under the 口. A common mistake is making the 口 too narrow or writing the lower part too far to the right, making the character unbalanced. Remember the stroke order: left-falling stroke first in the bottom part, then horizontal stroke, then the final right-falling stroke.

各 (gè) means 'each; every' and has the bottom part 夂, while 古 (gǔ, 'ancient') has a different bottom: 十 (ten). 卟 (bǔ, a rare character meaning 'divination' or used in transliteration) has a bottom part 卜 (divination). Visually, 各's bottom has three strokes (夂), whereas 古 uses a simple cross and 卟 uses a downward-right stroke. They also have completely different meanings and usage.

各 is used before nouns or classifiers to mean 'each' or 'every,' such as 各位 (everyone), 各个 (each one), and 各种 (various kinds). It is a formal way to address a group, as in 各位来宾 (dear guests), and appears in signs or announcements to refer to all individuals. There is no special cultural note beyond its polite, inclusive tone when addressing a group.

Common words containing 各 include: 各位 (gè wèi) — Everyone / Ladies and gentlemen.; 各个 (gè gè) — each; every one; 各种 (gè zhǒng) — Various / All kinds of..