ずつ
- 1Distributive: the same fixed amount goes to each member of a group ('… each').Ex. 1
- 2Steady increments: something is done or changes by a set amount at a time ('… at a time', 'little by little').Ex. 2
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Neutral in register and common in speech and writing, especially for dividing things equally or describing gradual progress, as in 一人ずつ or 少しずつ. ごとに attaches to the unit itself ('each person', 'every hour'), and おきに marks intervals. ずつ instead attaches to the amount and says how much goes to each unit or step.
Learners sometimes attach ずつ to an ordinary noun. It must follow a quantity or amount expression, such as a number with a counter or 少し.
Note that ずつ goes on the amount, not on the recipients. Mark the recipients with に, as in 子供たちに二つずつ.
Do not use ずつ for time intervals such as 'every hour'. Use ごとに or おきに, as in 一時間ごとに.
- ごとにN3「ごとに」 marks units or intervals, as in 「三十分ごとに」 and 「グループごとに」, and can attach to both nouns and verbs, while 「ずつ」 shows the amount per portion or per occasion. To say 'one by one', use 「一人ずつ」, not 「一人ごとに」.
- おきにN4「おきに」 also attaches to counters, but it means something repeats at fixed intervals of time, distance, or quantity, focusing on the gap in between — 「一日おきに」 means once every other day. 「ずつ」 refers to the amount given to each recipient or done each time, so the two cannot be interchanged.
- たびにN3「たびに」 attaches to dictionary-form verbs or 「名詞＋の」 and means that something always happens whenever a certain event occurs, focusing on how many times the event happens. 「ずつ」 attaches to counters or words like 「少し」 and shows the amount per recipient or per occasion, so the two cannot be interchanged.
- くらい / ぐらいN5「くらい」 also often follows counters, but it expresses an approximate amount (「二十分くらい」) and can also indicate degree, while 「ずつ」 shows how much per recipient or per occasion. Their meanings differ, so they cannot be interchanged.
- ばかりN4「ばかり」 after a counter means 'about', as in 「一時間ばかり」, while 「ずつ」 shows the amount per recipient or per occasion, as in 「二つずつ」, so the two cannot be interchanged. 「ばかり」 can also mean 'nothing but' or 'just (did)'.
ずつ marks an equal amount per person or step. ごとに means 'each/every unit', either treating each member separately (人ごとに) or marking regular intervals. おきに means 'at intervals', and たびに means 'every time an event occurs'. くらい／ぐらい and ばかり can also follow quantities, but they express an approximate amount ('about'), not an equal share.
