HKVisaRun- 一个？

tamutom
 August 19, 2010, 06:28 PM posted in General Discussion

I guess this must happen all the time and I just have not noticed, but I see in 这个坏了，你去买个新的吧, that we just use 个 ge (a measure word/individual) by itself without 一 yī or any other number. Is this common and are we always to understand one if no number is stated? If so, could the 一 be dropped from the sentence, “爸爸给我买了一本书”? Now I see that I have often used 个 alone in 这个.

Profile picture
helencao_counselor
 August 20, 2010, 12:43 AM

你说得对，in spoken language, it is common dropping the 一 before mesure words. The sentence "爸爸给我买了一本书" 也可以说 “爸爸给我买了本书”。

Here are some more examples:

1.我刚才喝了杯咖啡。

2.你明天给Jenny打个电话吧！

3.我想买件新衣服。

4.他买了辆红色的BMW。