Word
一 个 人 晚上 出去 很 危险。yí gè rén wǎnshang chūqù hěn wēixiǎn.
Meaning
Going out alone at night is dangerous.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of yí gè rén wǎnshang chūqù hěn wēixiǎn.
很hěn
very
个gè
noun classifier
Used when counting nouns or when specifying a specific instance of a noun.
There are also classifiers for people, for bound items such as books and magazines, for cups/glasses, etc.
The classifier 个 is a general one that can be used for any of these.
人rén
person
Questions & Answers about yí gè rén wǎnshang chūqù hěn wēixiǎn.
Why is 一 pronounced yí here instead of yī?
Because 一 changes tone depending on what follows.
In 一个人, the next syllable is 个 (gè), which is fourth tone, so 一 becomes second tone: yí.
A useful rule:
- yī when said alone or for emphasis
- yí before a fourth-tone syllable
- yì before most other tones
So:
- 一个 → yí ge
- 一天 → often yì tiān
What does 一个人 mean here? Does it mean one person or alone?
Literally, 一个人 means one person. In this sentence, it most naturally means alone / by oneself.
So 一个人晚上出去很危险 is understood as:
- Going out at night alone is dangerous
- It is dangerous for one person to go out at night
This is very common in Mandarin: 一个人 can mean both one person and alone, depending on context.
Why is 个 needed in 一个人?