<p>There is no big difference between these two sentences. 个can be deleted.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-11T07:24:51.447Z
I think the answer can be improved by an explanation.
Daniel Cheung
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-10T19:36:16.797Z
2020-04-10T19:36:16.797Z
Yangfan Zheng
<p>A: 我老师是个中国人</p>

<p>B: 我老师是中国人</p>

<p>As is stated in other answers, these two sentences have the same meaning. But A is less formal and polite than B. A shows a distance between the speaker and 老师, but B is only stating the fact.</p>

<p>Sorry I don't have good reason for this, but as a native speaker I can tell how I feel.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-29T17:59:00.307Z
2020-04-29T17:59:00.307Z
River
<p>个 is a classifier. Classifiers describe shape, size or kind of objects, e.g. 多少座大楼，这幅画，那个人</p>
<p>Classifiers mainly work with counting word to specify the number and quantity of the object e.g. 一座大楼，三幅画，四个人</p>
<p>In the case of 我老师是中国人, with or without a classifier does not change the sentence much.</p>
<p>The reason is : We know we are talking about one teacher, therefore the counting word &quot;一&quot; along with the classifier &quot;个&quot; are not needed</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Classifier cannot be removed if you need to use counting word to specify the number of the objects</p>
<p>Example: 我的老师是三个中国人和两个英国人 cannot be changed to 我的老师是三中国人和两英国人</p>
</blockquote>
<p>~</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Classifier cannot be used if the number of the objects is unspecified</p>
<p>Example: 我學校的老师全是中国人 cannot be changed to 我學校的老师全是个中国人</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Note: If the number is one, you can omit the counting word. The Classifier alone can indicate it is a single object, just like in 我老师是个中国人 (you don't need to say 我老师是一个中国人) .  But you cannot omit the counting word if there is more than one object, e.g. you cannot omit 三 in 我的老师是三个中国人</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-11T07:28:30.587Z
Adding to the note, 一個人 means "1 person". 個人, which implies 1, means "individual", which may also be used to refer to the speaker, synonymous to the English "one", e.g. One believes the water is hot. 個人覺得水很熱。
Daniel Cheung
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-11T06:13:00.613Z
2020-04-11T06:31:28.253Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>A: 我老师是个中国人</p>

<p>B: 我老师是中国人</p>

<p>I feel that A says ''My teacher is a Chinese person.'', and that B says ''My teacher is Chinese.''</p>

<p>But I feel that A carries an impolite nuance for some reason.</p>

<p>Am I interpreting this incorrectly or what do you think of phrase A ?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-11T03:25:15.843Z
Quote:- "...A carries an impolite nuance...." Care to elaborate?
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-12T10:49:50.077Z
@WayneCheah Hi Wayne, well in fairness that was not my quote. If I had said ''He thought that I don't like fish'', you couldn't quote me as ''I don't like fish''. Anyway, I do feel that A is slightly more abrupt due to the ''ge''. Kind of like in English. He is a Chinese person. vs He is a Chinese. The second expression carries a negative connotation. He is gay (Neutral) vs He is a gay (Negative).. Anyway, it just felt like that to me. I'm not fluent so I was just checking for clarify.
Kantura
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-12T11:58:31.873Z
No problem. I was just curious.
Wayne Cheah
<phrase>
Is the 个 required here?
# Is the 个 required here?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-04-10)

A: 我老师是个中国人

B: 我老师是中国人

I feel that A says ''My teacher is a Chinese person.'', and that B says ''My teacher is Chinese.''

But I feel that A carries an impolite nuance for some reason.

Am I interpreting this incorrectly or what do you think of phrase A ?

**Tags:** phrase

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Quote:- "...A carries an impolite nuance...." Care to elaborate?  
> **username_0**: @WayneCheah Hi Wayne, well in fairness that was not my quote. If I had said ''He thought that I don't like fish'', you couldn't quote me as ''I don't like fish''. Anyway, I do feel that A is slightly more abrupt due to the ''ge''. Kind of like in English. He is a Chinese person. vs He is a Chinese. The second expression carries a negative connotation. He is gay (Neutral) vs He is a gay (Negative).. Anyway, it just felt like that to me. I'm not fluent so I was just checking for clarify.  
> **username_1**: No problem. I was just curious.  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2020-04-11. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

个 is a classifier. Classifiers describe shape, size or kind of objects, e.g. 多少座大楼，这幅画，那个人

Classifiers mainly work with counting word to specify the number and quantity of the object e.g. 一座大楼，三幅画，四个人

In the case of 我老师是中国人, with or without a classifier does not change the sentence much.

The reason is : We know we are talking about one teacher, therefore the counting word "一" along with the classifier "个" are not needed

> Classifier cannot be removed if you need to use counting word to specify the number of the objects
>
> Example: 我的老师是三个中国人和两个英国人 cannot be changed to 我的老师是三中国人和两英国人

~

> Classifier cannot be used if the number of the objects is unspecified
>
> Example: 我學校的老师全是中国人 cannot be changed to 我學校的老师全是个中国人

Note: If the number is one, you can omit the counting word. The Classifier alone can indicate it is a single object, just like in 我老师是个中国人 (you don't need to say 我老师是一个中国人) . But you cannot omit the counting word if there is more than one object, e.g. you cannot omit 三 in 我的老师是三个中国人

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Adding to the note, 一個人 means "1 person". 個人, which implies 1, means "individual", which may also be used to refer to the speaker, synonymous to the English "one", e.g. One believes the water is hot. 個人覺得水很熱。  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2020-04-10. Score: 3

There is no big difference between these two sentences. 个can be deleted.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: I think the answer can be improved by an explanation.  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2020-04-29. Score: 2

A: 我老师是个中国人

B: 我老师是中国人

As is stated in other answers, these two sentences have the same meaning. But A is less formal and polite than B. A shows a distance between the speaker and 老师, but B is only stating the fact.

Sorry I don't have good reason for this, but as a native speaker I can tell how I feel.


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