The Pronoun « Chacun » and How to Use It
📝 What does it mean?
The pronoun « chacun » means “each one / everyone” in English.
👉 It refers to individuals in a group, considered separately.
It is an indefinite pronoun and can be used for people or things.
📌 The Forms
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chacun → masculine (each one, everyone)
-
chacune → feminine
✅ Examples:
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Chacun est responsable de ses choix.
= Everyone is responsible for their choices. -
Chacune a reçu un cadeau. 🎁
= Each (woman) received a gift.
🔑 How to Use « chacun »
1. As a subject
-
Chacun doit faire attention.
= Everyone must be careful. -
Chacune est arrivée à l’heure. ⏰
= Each one arrived on time.
2. As an object of a verb
-
Je connais chacun d’entre vous. 👥
= I know each of you. -
Il a salué chacune de ses collègues.
= He greeted each of his colleagues.
3. With a preposition
-
Il a parlé à chacun.
= He spoke to each one. -
Elle a donné un stylo à chacune. ✍️
= She gave a pen to each (of them).
⚠️ Grammar Notes
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Agreement:
👉 Chacun and chacune do not change with number, but they agree in gender.
-
Chacun est libre. (Everyone [masc.] is free)
-
Chacune est libre. (Everyone [fem.] is free)
-
Pronoun vs Determiner:
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As a pronoun: Chacun a compris. (Everyone understood)
-
As an adjective/determiner: Chaque élève a compris. (Each student understood)
🤓 Expressions with « chacun »
-
À chacun son goût.
= To each their own taste. -
Chacun pour soi.
= Every man for himself. -
Chacun son tour.
= Everyone in turn.
🎯 Mini Quiz
Translate into French:
-
Each of them is ready.
-
Everyone has their own opinion.
-
He gave a book to each student.
-
Each one must respect the rules.
✅ Answers:
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Chacun d’eux est prêt. / Chacune d’elles est prête.
-
Chacun a son opinion.
-
Il a donné un livre à chacun des élèves. 📚
-
Chacun doit respecter les règles.
✨ Voilà ! You now know how to use the pronoun « chacun » in French.
It’s common in daily speech and also appears in many idiomatic expressions 🎯.