chaque
/ʃak/
In French, "every" can be translated as chaque or tout.
Meaning: all of a countable group (det)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| chaque | /ʃak/ |
| tout | /tu/ /tu.t‿/ |
The phrase is used to refer to all members of a countable group.
Which one should you use?
chaque is used when you want to emphasize the individual members of a group one by one. In contrast, tout (and its forms tous, toute and toutes) is used to mean "all" or "the whole" of a group.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, it is common to use chaque followed by a specific day of the week instead of using tous les.
How does it change in a sentence?
chaque is invariable and must always be followed by a singular noun. If you want to say "every" followed by a plural noun (such as "every day" or "every week"), you should use tous les or toutes les instead of chaque.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃak/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not follow chaque with an article. For example, avoid saying chaque le jour to mean "every the day".
Did you know?
- The word chaque is an linguistic hybrid. It evolved from a blend of the Latin phrase quisque unus and the Greek-derived Latin cata unus.
- The phrase tout à coup uses tout to mean 'every' or 'all' in a literal sense, but it actually translates to 'suddenly'.
- There is a subtle spelling difference between tout and tous. When tous is used as a pronoun meaning 'everyone', the 's' is pronounced, but when it is a determiner meaning 'all', the 's' is silent.
Examples in context
- Je rêve chaque nuit.I dream every night.This sentence shows how to use chaque with a noun representing a period of time.Tatoeba #5558984 by sacredceltic, translation #5350461 by Airvian
- Tom nage chaque jour.Tom swims every day.This sentence demonstrates the use of chaque with a noun for a unit of time.Tatoeba #5284828 by martin9, translation #2548068 by CK
- J'y mange chaque soir.I eat there every night.This sentence illustrates the use of chaque with a noun for a time of day.Tatoeba #2415919 by sacredceltic, translation #2325159 by CK
- Tout élève doit participer à cette activité.Every student must participate in this activity.
- Tous les matins, je prends un café.Every morning, I have a coffee.
- Chaque semaine, on se retrouve au parc.Every week, we meet at the park.
- Tout le monde est invité à la fête.Everybody is invited to the party.
- Chaque lundi, je vais à la piscine.Every Monday, I go to the swimming pool.
- 1120 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Emma are planning a workout routine.
- NathanOn doit faire chaque exercice.We must do every exercise.
- EmmaC'est trop difficile pour moi.It is too difficult for me.
- NathanChaque effort compte, Emma.Every effort counts, Emma.
- EmmaTu as raison, Nathan.You are right, Nathan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “every” translations and entries chaque, tout, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chaque, tout, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
