你家有几口人？ vs. 你家有几个人？

[shoe83]

Should you use 'kou' or 'ge'? Can anyone set me straight? I've taken Chinese for several years, and I still just don't know...half of my textbooks use 口 and half use 个. It's such a basic phrase taught in Chinese 1. Is it a mainland vs. Taiwan thing? Please tell me, I need to know!

[studentyoung]

Should you use 'kou' or 'ge'? Can anyone set me straight?

Both “口” and “个” can be used in this case. But”你家有几口人” sounds more colloquial than “你家有几个人”.

Is it a mainland vs. Taiwan thing?

No, I don't think it is a mainland vs. Taiwan thing, for these two sentences are both widely used in mainland and Taiwan.

Thanks!

[semantic nuance]

Hi,

Both are ok and mean the same thing. However, in Taiwan, I often hear people use 你家有幾個人 more often than 你家有幾口人.

Hope it helps!

[pattifranklin]

I beleive it is a matter of personal preference.

[hughitt1]

i'm also used to hearing "個" mostly.. but both ways are correct.

[trevelyan]

ji1 kou3 ren2 -- how many people

ji4 kou3 ren2 -- someone with a food allergy

I hear 个 most of the time, but that might just be a Beijing thing. I hear 口 popping up more in set phrases like 一家三口, etc.

[HashiriKata]

ji1 kou3 ren2 -- how many people

It should be written either as ji3 kou3 ren2 or ji2 kou3 ren2

(but always pronounced as ji2 kou3 ren2 )