How to Say "every" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “every” is “todo” — use 'todo' when referring to a general time period or a complete set of things, often translated as 'all' or 'every' in phrases like 'every day' or 'all the time'..
todo
/TOH-doh//ˈto.ðo/
Examples
Todo el mundo está invitado.
Everyone is invited.
Leo todos los días.
I read every day.
Toda la familia fue a la playa.
The whole family went to the beach.
Limpié toda la casa.
I cleaned the whole house.
Matching the Noun
Todo changes to match the thing you're talking about. Use todo for masculine singular things (todo el día), toda for feminine (toda la noche), todos for masculine plural (todos los libros), and todas for feminine plural (todas las mesas).
The 'the' Rule
Unlike in English, you almost always need to put 'the' (el, la, los, las) or a possessive (mi, tu) between todo and the noun. Think of it as 'all of the...'
Forgetting 'the'
Mistake: “Hablo con mis amigos todos días.”
Correction: Hablo con mis amigos todos `los` días. Remember to include `los` (or `el`, `la`, `las`) after `todos` when it's followed by a noun.
cada
/ka-da//ˈka.ða/
Examples
Cada persona tiene un rol.
Each person has a role.
Cada estudiante tiene un libro.
Each student has a book.
Voy al gimnasio cada día.
I go to the gym every day.
Le doy un regalo a cada uno de mis hijos.
I give a gift to each one of my children.
Always Followed by Singular
Even when talking about a whole group, the noun right after cada is always singular. Think 'each single student' (cada estudiante), not 'each students'.
Never Changes
Cada is a super easy word because it stays the same. It doesn't change for masculine or feminine things. It's always cada niño (each boy) and cada niña (each girl).
Talking About Frequency
You can use cada with a number to say how often something happens, like 'cada dos días' (every two days) or 'cada tres horas' (every three hours).
Using a Plural Noun After 'Cada'
Mistake: “Cada estudiantes tienen un libro.”
Correction: Say 'Cada estudiante tiene un libro.' The noun and the verb that follow 'cada' should be singular because you're talking about the items one by one.
Mixing up 'Cada' and 'Todos'
Mistake: “Me gusta cada tipo de música.”
Correction: Use 'todos los tipos de música' for 'all types of music'. `Cada` singles out items, while `todos` groups them all together. They can sometimes be similar ('cada día' vs. 'todos los días'), but 'todos' is better for talking about a whole category.
Cada vs. Todo
Related Translations
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