各 (Each) | Chinese (Mandarin) Grammar

If 每 (měi) is the "every X does the same thing" word, then 各 (gè) is its counterpart for "each one on its own" — the members of the set considered separately, respectively, or in all their variety. English blurs both into "each" and "various," but Chinese keeps them apart, and choosing 各 signals a distinctly more formal, written flavour along with a shift in meaning: not universal sameness but individual difference. Two things make 各 behave unlike 每: it frequently bonds directly to a noun with no measure word, and it does not call for the downstream 都.

各 bonds directly to the noun — often no measure word

This is the headline structural difference. Where 每 demands a measure word (每个国家), 各 fuses straight onto many one-syllable nouns to form a tight, dictionary-like unit: 各国 (gè guó, "various countries"), 各地 (gè dì, "various places / everywhere"), 各种 (gè zhǒng, "all kinds"), 各方 (gè fāng, "all parties"). These read as compact, semi-lexicalised words, and they lean formal.

来自各国的运动员陆续入场。

lái zì gè guó de yùndòngyuán lùxù rùchǎng

Athletes from various countries entered one after another. (formal, e.g. an opening ceremony) — 各国 = 'the various countries', no measure word.

这种小吃在全国各地都很受欢迎。

zhè zhǒng xiǎochī zài quánguó gè dì dōu hěn shòu huānyíng

This snack is popular everywhere across the country. (neutral) — 各地 = 'the various places / everywhere'.

超市里有各种各样的水果。

chāoshì lǐ yǒu gè zhǒng gè yàng de shuǐguǒ

The supermarket has all kinds of fruit. (informal) — 各种各样 ('all sorts of') is an everyday set phrase built on 各.

That said, 各 can take a measure word too, especially before a longer or two-syllable noun: 各个国家 (gè ge guójiā, "each country"), 各位老师 (gè wèi lǎoshī, "the teachers, respectfully"). So the pattern is: with short, common nouns 各 usually bonds directly (各国, 各地, 各校); with others it may take 个 or the polite 位.

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Think of 各国, 各地, 各种, 各位 as near-words you memorise whole, the way you learned 每天 as a unit. They are the highest-frequency 各 combinations and will cover most of your real usage.

各位: the polite way to address a group

One combination deserves its own spotlight because you will hear it constantly in any formal setting: 各位 (gè wèi), literally "each honoured one," used to address an audience — "everyone, ladies and gentlemen." The 位 is the respectful measure word for people, so 各位 is inherently courteous, the register you want when opening a speech, an email to clients, or a welcome to guests.

各位，欢迎光临，请这边坐。

gè wèi, huānyíng guānglín, qǐng zhè biān zuò

Everyone, welcome — please have a seat over here. (formal, a host greeting guests) — 各位 as a polite collective address.

各位同事，会议现在开始。

gè wèi tóngshì, huìyì xiànzài kāishǐ

Colleagues, the meeting will now begin. (formal) — 各位 + a noun (同事) addresses that group respectfully.

There is no everyday warm equivalent — for friends you'd use 大家 (dàjiā, "everybody"). 各位 is specifically the formal, polite address; using it among close friends would sound comically stiff, which is exactly the register information a learner needs.

The 各 V 各的 pattern: "each has its own"

The construction that captures the soul of 各 is 各 + verb + 各的 (+ noun): "each does its/their own." It splits a group into individuals who each go their separate way. 各有各的优点 = "each has its own strengths"; 各走各的路 = "each goes their own way." Crucially, this pattern does not use 都 — the individuality is baked into 各 itself.

每个方案各有各的优点。

měi ge fāng'àn gè yǒu gè de yōudiǎn

Each plan has its own strengths. (neutral) — 各有各的 = 'each has its own'; note there is no 都 here.

分手以后，他们各过各的日子。

fēnshǒu yǐhòu, tāmen gè guò gè de rìzi

After breaking up, they each got on with their own lives. (informal, a touch literary) — 各过各的 stresses two separate paths.

请大家回到各自的座位上。

qǐng dàjiā huí dào gèzì de zuòwèi shang

Everyone please return to your own seats. (formal, e.g. a flight attendant) — 各自 ('each … own') is a common cousin of 各, meaning 'each on their own part'.

That last example introduces 各自 (gèzì, "each … oneself / respectively"), a very useful adverb built on 各: it means the members acted or possess things separately — 各自付账 ("each pays their own bill," i.e. go Dutch), 各自回家 ("each went home separately").

各 vs 每: the distinction that matters

This is the pairing to get right, and it is worth being precise. Both can translate as "each," but they pull in opposite directions:

	每 (měi)	各 (gè)
Core meaning	every — the whole set, uniformly	each / various — members taken separately, or diversity
Downstream 都?	yes, 每…都	no
Measure word?	required (每个人)	often none (各国, 各地)
Register	neutral, everyday	more formal / written
Feel	"all of them do the same"	"each does its own / assorted"

每个国家都有国旗。

měi ge guójiā dōu yǒu guóqí

Every country has a flag. (neutral) — 每…都, a uniform universal: all of them, the same fact.

各国的国旗都不一样。

gè guó de guóqí dōu bù yíyàng

The flags of the various countries are all different. (neutral) — 各国 highlights the diversity across countries; here 都 appears because of the predicate 'all different', not because 各 requires it.

The second example is worth a careful look: 都 does show up, but it is licensed by 各国 being a plural subject ("the various countries' flags"), the same way any plural subject can trigger 都 — it is not the fixed 各…都 frame, because there is no such frame. 各 never requires 都 the way 每 does.

Common Mistakes

1. Adding a measure word to fixed 各 compounds. 各国, 各地, 各种 already form a unit — don't insert 个.

❌ 各个国都有自己的文化。（for 'various countries'）

Awkward — 各国 is the natural compact form; 各个国 is not idiomatic.

✅ 各国都有自己的文化。

gè guó dōu yǒu zìjǐ de wénhuà

Every country has its own culture. — 各国 bonds directly, no measure word.

2. Forcing the 每…都 frame onto 各. 各 carries its own "individually" meaning and does not need the echoing 都.

❌ 他们各都有各的想法。

Incorrect — the 各 V 各的 pattern doesn't take 都.

✅ 他们各有各的想法。

tāmen gè yǒu gè de xiǎngfǎ

Each of them has their own idea. — 各有各的, no 都.

3. Swapping 各 and 每 without regard to meaning. 每…都 means "all the same"; 各 means "each different/various." They are not interchangeable.

❌ 每人有每人的爱好。

Unnatural — for 'each has their own hobby', the individuality pattern is 各.

✅ 每个人都有自己的爱好。

měi ge rén dōu yǒu zìjǐ de àihào

Everyone has their own hobby. — or, stressing separateness: 各有各的爱好.

4. Using 各位 among close friends. 各位 is formal-polite; for casual company use 大家.

❌ 各位，我们去喝一杯吧！（to your buddies）

Too stiff for friends — 各位 is a formal address.

✅ 大家，我们去喝一杯吧！

dàjiā, wǒmen qù hē yì bēi ba!

Everyone, let's go grab a drink! — 大家 is the friendly, informal 'everybody'.

5. Confusing 各自 ('each their own') with 一起 ('together'). 各自付账 means split the bill, the opposite of paying as one.

✅ 我们各自付账吧。

wǒmen gèzì fùzhàng ba

Let's each pay our own. — 各自 = separately, individually.

Key Takeaways

各 (gè) means "each / various / respectively" — members taken separately or diversity across a set — and reads more formal / written than 每.
It often bonds directly to a short noun with no measure word: 各国, 各地, 各种, 各方 (learn these as units); with other nouns it may take 个 or polite 位.
各位 is the polite collective address ("everyone, ladies and gentlemen"); for friends use 大家 instead.
The signature pattern is 各 V 各的 ("each has/does its own"), and it does not take 都; the cousin 各自 means "each … on their own part."
Choose 每…都 for "every X does the same thing," and 各 for "each respectively / assorted"; any 都 that appears with 各 comes from a plural subject, not from a required frame.

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