alle/elk/ieder

All, Each, Every

Level 2

Alle = All (general plurals, abstract concepts)
Al de / Al het = All the (specific groups, mass nouns)
Elk / Ieder = Each/Every (individual focus, singular)

How It Works

In Dutch, quantifiers change their form based on whether you are talking about a general category, a specific group, or a mass noun.

1. General vs. Specific (Alle vs. Al de/het)

  • Alle: Used for general plural groups or abstract uncountable nouns.
    Alle boeken zijn duur. (All books [in general] are expensive.)
    Alle hulp is welkom. (All help [abstract] is welcome.)
    Note: Using 'alle' with mass nouns like 'alle bier' usually implies 'all types of beer'.
  • Al de / Al het: Used for specific groups or mass nouns (food, drink, materials). Use al de for specific de-words and al het for specific singular het-words.
    Al het bier is koud. (All the beer is cold.)
    Al het water in dit glas is koud. (All the water [specifically] in this glass is cold.)
  • Plurals: While al de can be used for specific plural groups, alle is the standard choice for plurals in most contexts, even when specific.
    Alle boeken op die plank zijn van mij. (All the books on that shelf are mine.)

2. Al with Other Determiners
The uninflected form al is used when followed by a possessive (mijn, jouw) or a demonstrative (deze, die).

  • Al mijn vrienden komen. (All my friends are coming.)
  • Al deze appels zijn rood. (All these apples are red.)

3. Elk and Ieder (Each/Every)
These refer to individual members of a group and are followed by singular nouns. They follow the de/het system rules for inflection:

  • Elke / Iedere: Used with singular de-words (e.g., elke dag, iedere man).
  • Elk / Ieder: Used with singular het-words (e.g., elk kind, ieder huis).

4. Standalone Pronouns and Others

  • Alles: Means 'everything' (e.g., Ik weet alles).
  • Iedereen: The standard word for 'everyone' (e.g., Iedereen is hier).
  • Allemaal: Means 'all' but is not used like alle before a noun (alle kinderen). It usually appears later in the sentence (e.g., De kinderen slapen allemaal).
  • Allebei / Beide: Both mean 'both'. Allebei is more common in spoken Dutch (e.g., We gaan allebei).
  • Allen: A formal alternative to 'everyone' or 'all of them' when referring to people (e.g., Zij waren allen aanwezig).

Examples (6)

  1. Alle studenten moeten hun boeken meenemen.

    All students must bring their books.

    Word by Word: All students must their books with-take.

    'Alle' is used here because 'studenten' is plural.

  2. Elk kind krijgt een cadeautje.

    Each child receives a small gift.

    Word by Word: Each child gets a little-gift.

    'Elk' is used without an -e because 'kind' is a het-word.

  3. Ik ga iedere dag naar de sportschool.

    I go to the gym every day.

    Word by Word: I go every day to the sports-school.

    'Iedere' takes an -e because 'dag' is a de-word.

  4. Al mijn vrienden zijn op het feest.

    All my friends are at the party.

    Word by Word: All my friends are on the party.

    When a possessive like 'mijn' follows, 'alle' changes to 'al'.

  5. Al de huizen in deze straat zijn oud.

    All the houses in this street are old.

    Word by Word: All the houses in this street are old.

    Because all plurals take the article 'de', we use 'al de' for specific plural groups.

  6. Wij zijn allebei erg moe.

    We are both very tired.

    Word by Word: We are both very tired.

    'Allebei' is used to mean 'both' when referring to two people or things.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'allemaal' as a determiner directly before a noun.

    Ik heb allemaal de boeken gelezen.
    Ik heb de boeken allemaal gelezen.

    'Allemaal' is a floating quantifier; it cannot sit directly in front of a noun like 'alle' or 'al'. It must appear later in the sentence, usually after the verb or the object.

  • Using 'alle' instead of 'al' before another determiner.

    alle de kinderen
    al de kinderen

    When followed by a word like 'de', 'het', or 'mijn', you must use the uninflected form 'al' instead of 'alle'.

  • Using the -e ending for neuter (het) nouns with elk/ieder.

    elke jaar
    elk jaar

    'Jaar' is a het-word, so 'elk' should not have an -e ending.

How It Connects

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alle/elk/iederLevel 2All, Each, Every

Learn This First

To use 'alle', 'elk', and 'ieder' correctly, you must first understand the difference between singular and plural nouns, as 'alle' requires a plural. Additionally, because 'elk' and 'ieder' function similarly to adjectives, you need to be familiar with the de/het gender system to know when to add an -e ending (elke/iedere) or leave it off (elk/ieder for het-words).

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alleelkieder