Chacun/chacune/chaque = each one/each (French Indefinite Adjectives and Pronouns)

Chacun/chacune and chaque sound similar so it's easy to mix them up.  Here's how to use them correctly.

How to use chacun/chacune and chaque in French

To express each/every in French, there are different expressions depending on sentences:

chaque [chose] each [thing]

To say each/every [thing], you use chaque + [singular noun].

Chaque pays avait envoyé une délégation.Each country had sent a delegation.

Chaque jour, cela devient plus facile.Each day, it becomes easier.

chacun/chacune des [choses] : each of [things]

To say each/every one of [things], you use chacun/chacune des + [plural noun].

Chacune des femmes apporte un plat.Each of the women is bringing a dish.

Chacun des lutins a une tâche spécifique.Each one of the elves has a specific task. 

Chacune des tables était décorée avec goût.Each one of the tables was decorated tastefully. 

ATTENTION

To say each one of us/you/them, you use chacun/chacune d'entre nous/vous/eux/elles (stress pronouns)

Chacun d'entre vous mérite une récompense.Each one of you deserves a reward.

Je respecte chacune d'entre elles.I respect each one of them.
I respect every one of them.

chacun/chacune on their own = each one, every one

To say each/every [one], you use chacun / chacune.

Les filles sont élégantes: chacune porte une robe.The girls are elegant: each one wears a dress.

On a le droit à un gâteau chacun.We're allowed one cake each.

Chacun applies to nouns and was originally the contraction of "chaque+un / chaque+une".
It therefore agrees in gender with the person/group/thing it refers to.

ATTENTION 

You cannot write chaque un as two words.

See also the opposite:
Ne ... aucun(e) = None (French Negations)
and Aucun/e … ne = None (French Negations)

Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Examples and resources

Les filles sont élégantes: chacune porte une robe.The girls are elegant: each one wears a dress.
Chaque jour, cela devient plus facile.Each day, it becomes easier.
Chacune des femmes apporte un plat.Each of the women is bringing a dish.
Chaque pays avait envoyé une délégation.Each country had sent a delegation.
Chacun des lutins a une tâche spécifique.Each one of the elves has a specific task. 
On a le droit à un gâteau chacun.We're allowed one cake each.
Je respecte chacune d'entre elles.I respect each one of them.
I respect every one of them.
Chacun d'entre vous mérite une récompense.Each one of you deserves a reward.
Mais dans chaque maison,  Il flotte un air de fête, But in each house,  There's a festive air,    
Chacune des tables était décorée avec goût.Each one of the tables was decorated tastefully. 
Chacun/chacune/chaque = each one/each (French Indefinite Adjectives and Pronouns)
1 of 2
six châteaux avait sa propre architecture. (Each of the six castles had its own architecture.)

Q&A Forum 5 questions, 16 answers

priyanka r.A1Kwiziq community member

Why do we use à in these sentences: Choisissez un Cadeau à chacun d’entre eux selon leurs goûts and on a le droit à un gateau chacun

Asked 2 years ago
Maarten K.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

For the second example, the expression is “avoir le droit à qqc”.  https://www.wordreference.com/fren/avoir

Where does your first example come from ? I don’t see it in the lesson. 

I would use ‘choisir .. un cadeau pour qqn’. There are many examples of ‘un cadeau pour qqn’ on French gift vendors’ sites, but I haven’t found any of ‘un cadeau à qqn’, except if required by the verb form eg faire un cadeau à, donner un cadeau à, acheter un cadeau à (in this case - to buy from). 

This is not the situation in your example as the verb form is not ‘choisir… à NOUN’, and with a verb, it would be ‘choisir de INFINITIVE’ 

https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/verbs-with-a/    https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/verbs-with-de/

Jim J.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Hi Priyanka 

à is a preposition taking the meaning "to" or "for" in English according to context.

Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

choisir un cadeau à qqn. -- to choose a present to someone
avoir le droit à qqc. -- to have the right to something

Maarten K.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Chris - do you have a reference for "choisir un cadeau à chacun...".  Collins English-French translator site gives '....pour chacun . .' (both for 'for each' and 'to each'),  while using "à chacun" with offrir, donner, faire. 

It may be that both forms are correct or there is disgreement, as at least some native speakers I know would use 'choisir pour . .'

priyanka r.A1Kwiziq community member

Hi, thank you for helping me out with my query. I was wondering if 'pour' could be used instead of à. Many times à is used in sentences that would mean for in English. So, if someone could help me out with when à can be used and when pour can be used. Merci beaucoup!

Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

@Maarten: It's definitely something I haven't heard used often. To my ears, it sounds like "to choose a gift to someone" as opposed to "for someone". Doesn't work well in English, I know.It would be helpful to know the entire sentence and where it comes from.

priyanka r.A1Kwiziq community member

Bonjour,

Merci pour votre réponse. C'est une instruction d'exercice dans un livre intitulé Synchronie-1, Leçon 3.  It is an exercise instruction in a book called Synchronie-1, Leçon 3. 

Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

So this exercise asks you to associate a gift with each person. Now this makes a lot more sense! Context is everything.

priyanka r. asked:

Why do we use à in these sentences: Choisissez un Cadeau à chacun d’entre eux selon leurs goûts and on a le droit à un gateau chacun

Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

Melody S.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Chacun, chacune, chaque change order in title

The phrases on the two sides of the "=" in the title are not parallel, so this makes it confusing from the get-go as to which is the pronoun and which are indefinite adjectives.  I suggest changing it to "Chaque, chacun, chacune = each, each one.." and so forth.  

Asked 3 years ago
CécileKwiziq Native French TeacherCorrect answer

Hi Melody,

As Alan points out I took it to be a formatting problem. I get your very valid point and have changed the English equivalents to their correct position.

Thank you very much for pointing this out and bonne continuation!

 

Jim J.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Hi Melody,

So have you put your point to the help desk?

Not sure what it is that you would have the language forum do about this point?

Jim

Alan G.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

I think you're taking the word "parallel" too literally, Cécile. Melody is just suggesting that the words' meanings should be in the same order in French and English. "Chaque" means "each", while "chacun" means "each one", so it would help if the order in the title reflected this.  

Melody S. asked:

Chacun, chacune, chaque change order in title

The phrases on the two sides of the "=" in the title are not parallel, so this makes it confusing from the get-go as to which is the pronoun and which are indefinite adjectives.  I suggest changing it to "Chaque, chacun, chacune = each, each one.." and so forth.  

Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

Joan C.A1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Can "On a le droit à un gâteau chacun" be written as "Chacun a le droit à un gâteau"?

Asked 5 years ago
CécileKwiziq Native French TeacherCorrect answer

Hi Joan,

Yes, indeed you can say it both ways.

Joan C. asked:

Can "On a le droit à un gâteau chacun" be written as "Chacun a le droit à un gâteau"?

Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

Jinn X.B2Kwiziq community member

related lessons: aucun(e)...ne and ne...aucun(e)

It may be useful to link lessons for 'aucun(e)', the opposite of chacun(e).

Asked 5 years ago
AurélieKwiziq Head of French, Native French TeacherCorrect answer

Bonjour Jinn !

Thanks for that excellent suggestion! The links have now been added to that lesson :)

Merci et bonne journée !

Jinn X. asked:

related lessons: aucun(e)...ne and ne...aucun(e)

It may be useful to link lessons for 'aucun(e)', the opposite of chacun(e).

Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

John I.B2Kwiziq community member

Verb conjuction after Chaqun(e) des .....

I noticed in the examples the conjugation is in the singular form and not plural, ie, chaqune des femmes apporte un plat (and not apportent un plat). Is there a simple way to explain this for me to remember (ie I want to say "chaqune des femmes" is more than one lady, so it is "they", so it's "elles apportent". I know its not the case here, but not sure why...?)
Asked 8 years ago
LauraKwiziq EditorCorrect answer
Bonjour John,

The literal translation is "each (one) of the women" and works the same way: each of the women brings / chacune [not "chaqune"] des femmes apporte.
clare L.B1Kwiziq community member

I think it is because we are talking about each one of them (chacun/chacune) but with a collective result that they all do it.

Brian E.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

I hadn’t noticed that. Thanks for highlighting this. Reading through the answers has improved my understanding on this point. 

John I. asked:

Verb conjuction after Chaqun(e) des .....

I noticed in the examples the conjugation is in the singular form and not plural, ie, chaqune des femmes apporte un plat (and not apportent un plat). Is there a simple way to explain this for me to remember (ie I want to say "chaqune des femmes" is more than one lady, so it is "they", so it's "elles apportent". I know its not the case here, but not sure why...?)

Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

I'll be right with you...