個 ... and using other classifiers?

[geek_frappa]

if i am lazy, can i just use 個 everywhere as a classifier...

個 book?

個 table ?

個 ugly diplomat?

or must i always say?

本書

張桌子

位醜參贊

??

[kentsuarez]

Unfortunately, there's a limit to the generality of the 個 ge5 classifier, and you must learn the appropriate classifiers for most objects. You'll usually be understood if you substitute ge5 for the correct one, but it's often such an egregious error that most native speakers will correct you on it, even if they're not the type to go correcting people. The reason is that it sounds terribly inappropriate to the native ear, much as "one can of milk" sounds wrong when you're buying a carton; "ten head of cattle" and "ten dogs" can't swap measures, either: ten cattles? ten head of dog? So to avoid sounding goofy, no, you cannot say yige shu1 or yige bi3.

BTW, DeFrancis's ABC Comprehensive CE Dictionary lists appropriate measures next to many nouns, which is very convenient.

[skylee]

er... sorry, but ge5?

[smithsgj]

Sky, ge5 means it's qingsheng. This is now the Pinyin standard -- search for that man who was selling flashcards, whatever his name was, for an earlier discussion. It does seem redundant I agree ( although note that in mad bopomofo it's the 1st tone, not the neutral one, which is left unmarked).

To be honest I can't see why it can't just be ge4 anyway!

[sunyata]

does anyone have a list of words that 個 can be used with?

on a side note, geek_frappa, did you see that appendix in skylee's dictionary about the difference in the usage of measure words between 粵語 and 普通話?

[Quest]

if you are describing someone as ugly, you do not use 位.

個 usually fits nouns belonging to the "people" category. Using 位 would add politeness and respect.