それぞれ

• Reading: それぞれ
• Romaji: sorezore
• Formation: それぞれ (+ の + Noun) / Subject + それぞれ + Predicate

Meaning

An adverb or noun meaning 'each' or 'respectively,' used when two or more things or persons are individually distinguished. It emphasizes that each item is treated separately.

それぞれ highlights individuality within a group, stressing that each member has their own distinct characteristic, action, or outcome. It functions both as an adverb modifying a verb and as a noun that can take particles like の, が, or に. Unlike 各 (かく), which is more formal and used primarily in written or official contexts, それぞれ is natural in both spoken and written Japanese. It often pairs with plural subjects to indicate that the predicate applies independently to each. When modifying a noun, it takes の: それぞれの意見 (each person's opinion).

Examples

1. 参加者はそれぞれ自己紹介をした。 Each participant introduced themselves.
2. 子どもたちはそれぞれの部屋で勉強している。 The children are studying in their respective rooms.
3. 国によってそれぞれ文化が違います。 Each country has a different culture.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 学生たちはそれぞれ好きなテーマで発表した。
• 家族がそれぞれの予定で忙しい週末だった。
• それぞれの国にはそれぞれの魅力がある。
• 友人たちはそれぞれ違う道を選んだ。

Don't Say

• 私はそれぞれ二つのりんごを買った。(Using それぞれ with a single subject — それぞれ requires multiple subjects or items to distribute over) → 私はりんごを二つ買った。
• それぞれ全員が同じ意見だった。(Using それぞれ when everyone is the same — それぞれ implies individual differences, not uniformity) → 全員が同じ意見だった。

Origin & History

それぞれ is a native Japanese word (和語) composed of the demonstrative それ repeated with a connecting ぞ, originally meaning 'that one and that one,' evolving into the modern sense of 'each one individually.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal