<p>As @LadyP indicates, these two words have totally different meaning when used as adverb.</p>

<p>When used as 'every', sometimes, they are interchangable, e.g. (每/各)个学校. But:</p>

<ul>
<li>With some nouns, 每 can used directly without quantifier but 各 can't. E.g.: 
<ul>
<li>每星期 -- good 各星期 -- weird</li>
</ul></li>
<li>But sometimes it's is reversed.
<ul>
<li>每单位 -- wrong 各单位 -- good</li>
<li>In this case, 每 must be followed by quantifiers: 每个单位 -- good</li>
<li>Generally speaking, 每 is usually followed by quantifier. Those not are exceptions.</li>
</ul></li>
<li>每 can be followed by all kinds of quantifiers while 各 can be followed by limited quantifiers. In this sense, 每 is more widely used compared to 各. E.g.:
<ul>
<li>各件商品 -- wrong  每件商品 -- good</li>
<li>各个学校 -- good   每个学校 -- good</li>
</ul></li>
<li>TDOD
<ul>
<li>(各/每)位领导 -- good, but used in different situations</li>
<li>充斥着各种声音 -- good  充斥着每种声音 -- doesn't make sense</li>
<li>各个大学之间的区别 -- hrm ... a little uneasy 每个大学之间的区别 -- doesn't make sense</li>
</ul></li>
<li>每 can be followed by numeral while 各 never (when used as 'every'). 
<ul>
<li>每五人 -- good  各五人 -- good such in 男女各五人 but it does not mean 'every'</li>
</ul></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-20T16:09:25.933Z
2014-01-20T16:18:25.407Z
2014-01-20T16:18:25.407Z
Yaboot
<p>Another difference, beyond the subtleties of each/every, is that 每 can be used as an adverb meaning frequently or at every occasion, while 各 can be used as an adverb meaning separately or independently.  各 also appears in constructions such as 各V各的 (ex: 各唱各的) and 各V所B (ex: 各有所好).</p>

<p>Also note that the common word 各种 means various kinds, while 每种 would be every kind.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-17T20:23:27.870Z
2014-01-18T01:17:36.063Z
2014-01-18T01:17:36.063Z
user238264
<p>各 is more like "each". It is more frequently used when the intention is to describe some sort of individuality of some group. It is more common to see this character in describing the <em>difference</em> in each item in a group. Example: 各种不同的花 (many different kinds of flower).</p>

<p>每 is more like "every". It is used more when the intention is to describe a group's collective property that all members share, and consequently seen more often when describing the sameness of items in a group. Example: 每种花都一样 (all the flowers are of the same kind).</p>

<p>The confusion is that they are both used when describing <em>some property of the individual in a group</em>, but with different intentions. You can see them as two kinds of "every" with different connotations.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-18T01:27:34.400Z
So according to you 每个人都有一个房间 means that the people as a group have a single (presumably very large) room?
user238264
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-18T14:05:03.483Z
Nono. It means that everyone has a room. The 每 is used to indicate the sameness of the property of "has a room".
Jason Chan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-18T16:24:41.357Z
Then you should edit the "describe the group as a whole" part of your explanation.
user238264
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-13T02:38:34.090Z
I would go further and say that 各 generally enumerates each individual entity within a group individually, while 每 refers to every member of the group simultaneously. So while both can be used to talk about an entire group, 各 is more suitable when pointing out things that group members share which may have different attributes. +1 for your description and example though. "Each" vs "every" seems to sum it up.
Marko
CC BY-SA 4.0
2014-01-18T00:25:14.237Z
2020-06-08T23:15:54.470Z
2020-06-08T23:15:54.470Z
Jason Chan
<p>I'm used to using 每 for every. However, 各 came up one day and appears to me to have the exactly same meaning. Is there a contextual difference between the two that I am missing or can they be swapped for each other? When should someone use 各 instead of 每?</p>

<word-choice><difference><synonyms>
Difference between 各 and 每?
# Difference between 各 and 每?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-01-17)

I'm used to using 每 for every. However, 各 came up one day and appears to me to have the exactly same meaning. Is there a contextual difference between the two that I am missing or can they be swapped for each other? When should someone use 各 instead of 每?

**Tags:** word-choice, difference, synonyms


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-01-18. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

各 is more like "each". It is more frequently used when the intention is to describe some sort of individuality of some group. It is more common to see this character in describing the *difference* in each item in a group. Example: 各种不同的花 (many different kinds of flower).

每 is more like "every". It is used more when the intention is to describe a group's collective property that all members share, and consequently seen more often when describing the sameness of items in a group. Example: 每种花都一样 (all the flowers are of the same kind).

The confusion is that they are both used when describing *some property of the individual in a group*, but with different intentions. You can see them as two kinds of "every" with different connotations.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: So according to you 每个人都有一个房间 means that the people as a group have a single (presumably very large) room?  
> **username_3**: Nono. It means that everyone has a room. The 每 is used to indicate the sameness of the property of "has a room".  
> **username_2**: Then you should edit the "describe the group as a whole" part of your explanation.  
> **username_4**: I would go further and say that 各 generally enumerates each individual entity within a group individually, while 每 refers to every member of the group simultaneously. So while both can be used to talk about an entire group, 各 is more suitable when pointing out things that group members share which may have different attributes. +1 for your description and example though. "Each" vs "every" seems to sum it up.  

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### Answer by username_1 on 2014-01-20. Score: 3

As @LadyP indicates, these two words have totally different meaning when used as adverb.

When used as 'every', sometimes, they are interchangable, e.g. (每/各)个学校. But:

* With some nouns, 每 can used directly without quantifier but 各 can't. E.g.:
  + 每星期 -- good 各星期 -- weird
* But sometimes it's is reversed.
  + 每单位 -- wrong 各单位 -- good
  + In this case, 每 must be followed by quantifiers: 每个单位 -- good
  + Generally speaking, 每 is usually followed by quantifier. Those not are exceptions.
* 每 can be followed by all kinds of quantifiers while 各 can be followed by limited quantifiers. In this sense, 每 is more widely used compared to 各. E.g.:
  + 各件商品 -- wrong 每件商品 -- good
  + 各个学校 -- good 每个学校 -- good
* TDOD
  + (各/每)位领导 -- good, but used in different situations
  + 充斥着各种声音 -- good 充斥着每种声音 -- doesn't make sense
  + 各个大学之间的区别 -- hrm ... a little uneasy 每个大学之间的区别 -- doesn't make sense
* 每 can be followed by numeral while 各 never (when used as 'every').
  + 每五人 -- good 各五人 -- good such in 男女各五人 but it does not mean 'every'


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### Answer by username_2 on 2014-01-17. Score: 0

Another difference, beyond the subtleties of each/every, is that 每 can be used as an adverb meaning frequently or at every occasion, while 各 can be used as an adverb meaning separately or independently. 各 also appears in constructions such as 各V各的 (ex: 各唱各的) and 各V所B (ex: 各有所好).

Also note that the common word 各种 means various kinds, while 每种 would be every kind.


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