Hi Joan,
Yes, indeed you can say it both ways.
Chacun/chacune and chaque sound similar so it's easy to mix them up. Here's how to use them correctly.
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.
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 (negation)
and Aucun/e … ne = None of them (negation)
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Chacun des lutins a une tâche spécifique.
Each one of the elves has a specific task.
Mais dans chaque maison,
Il flotte un air de fête,
But in each house,
There's a festive air,
Chaque pays avait envoyé une délégation.
Each country had sent a delegation.
Chacun d'entre vous mérite une récompense.
Each one of you deserves a reward.
Chacune des femmes apporte un plat.
Each of the women is bringing a dish.
Je respecte chacune d'entre elles.
I respect each one of them.
I respect every one of them.
Chaque jour, cela devient plus facile.
Each day, it becomes easier.
On a le droit à un gâteau chacun.
We're allowed one cake each.
Les filles sont élégantes: chacune porte une robe.
The girls are elegant: each one wears a dress.
Chacune des tables était décorée avec goût.
Each one of the tables was decorated tastefully.
Q&A Forum 3 questions, 5 answers
JoanKwiziq 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 months ago
Joan asked:View original
Can "On a le droit à un gâteau chacun" be written as "Chacun a le droit à un gâteau"?
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JinnKwiziq 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 7 months ago
Bonjour Jinn !
Thanks for that excellent suggestion! The links have now been added to that lesson :)
Merci et bonne journée !
Jinn asked:View original
related lessons: aucun(e)...ne and ne...aucun(e)
It may be useful to link lessons for 'aucun(e)', the opposite of chacun(e).
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JohnKwiziq 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 3 years ago
LauraKwiziq team member
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.
ClareKwiziq 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.
BrianKwiziq community member
I hadn’t noticed that. Thanks for highlighting this. Reading through the answers has improved my understanding on this point.
John asked:View original
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...?)
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