individual

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 個 distinguishes individual units; its on-reading is こ.
• Basic usage: 個人(こじん) means an individual, while 個数(こすう) is the number of separate items.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Counter readings
  • 一個 is read いっこ, and 二個 is read にこ. The sound can change when the counter follows a number.
• An individual and a head count
  • 個人の意見 means an individual's opinion. People are normally counted with 人, not 個, as in 二人(ふたり).