<p>Since you are quite familiar with Chinese, I am copying the explanation from the dictionary without translation:</p>
<p>= &quot;个&quot; - 用在动词与补语中间，以加强语气：笑～不停。吃～饱。</p>
<p><a href="https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E4%B8%AA" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E4%B8%AA</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-05-22T22:36:05.407Z
I should have looked myself, just, this crazy trigonometry is blocking my brain!
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-05-23T02:45:24.803Z
Glad to be helpful to a knowledgeable person.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-05-22T03:51:08.547Z
2023-05-22T03:51:08.547Z
r13
<p>买个一两本。 = 买一两本。 = 买一本或者两本。 = 买一本两本都可以。</p>
<p>The word <strong>个</strong> is to show flexibility or a softened tone.</p>
<p>In English, you can say &quot;I want two apples&quot;, but you most likely say &quot;I would like to have two apples&quot;.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-05-22T14:16:22.010Z
2023-05-22T14:16:22.010Z
PdotWang
<p>I got these examples from the book I am struggling to read, 《名词和动词》沈家煊</p>
<p>My brain is blocked! I have been trying to understand arcsine(x) since yesterday, but I can't do maths!</p>
<p>It is said 个 is a count word, 量词. What is 个 counting in these examples?</p>
<p>买一本<br />
买个一两本<br />
买他一两本</p>
<p>吃一块<br />
吃个一两快<br />
吃他一两快</p>
<p>洗一次<br />
洗个一两次<br />
洗他一两次</p>
<p>敲一下<br />
敲个一两下<br />
敲他一两下</p>
<p>念一遍<br />
念个一两遍<br />
念他一两遍</p>
<p>住一天<br />
住个一两天<br />
住他一两天</p>

<meaning-in-context>
In these phrases what is the 量词 个 doing?
# In these phrases what is the 量词 个 doing?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-05-22)

I got these examples from the book I am struggling to read, 《名词和动词》沈家煊

My brain is blocked! I have been trying to understand arcsine(x) since yesterday, but I can't do maths!

It is said 个 is a count word, 量词. What is 个 counting in these examples?

买一本  
买个一两本  
买他一两本

吃一块  
吃个一两快  
吃他一两快

洗一次  
洗个一两次  
洗他一两次

敲一下  
敲个一两下  
敲他一两下

念一遍  
念个一两遍  
念他一两遍

住一天  
住个一两天  
住他一两天

**Tags:** meaning-in-context

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-05-22. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

Since you are quite familiar with Chinese, I am copying the explanation from the dictionary without translation:

= "个" - 用在动词与补语中间，以加强语气：笑～不停。吃～饱。

<https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E4%B8%AA>

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I should have looked myself, just, this crazy trigonometry is blocking my brain!  
> **username_1**: Glad to be helpful to a knowledgeable person.  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2023-05-22. Score: 1

买个一两本。 = 买一两本。 = 买一本或者两本。 = 买一本两本都可以。

The word **个** is to show flexibility or a softened tone.

In English, you can say "I want two apples", but you most likely say "I would like to have two apples".


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