každý / všetci / celý
Every, All and Whole
Každý (every) looks at members one by one and takes the singular. Všetci or všetky (all) looks at the whole group and takes the plural. Celý (whole) means all of one single thing.
How It Works
Každý: each and every. Každý declines like pekný: každý deň, každá žena, každé ráno. The noun and the verb stay singular: Každý študent má knihu. On its own, každý means everyone: Každý to vie. With a number it can be plural: každé dva týždne (every two weeks).
Všetci / všetky: all. In the plural, the form depends on the group:
- všetci for masculine nouns that name people, including mixed groups of men and women: všetci študenti, všetci ľudia. On its own it means everybody: Všetci sú tu.
- všetky for all other plurals: všetky ženy, všetky autá, všetky stromy.
This is the same split as in tí / tie and plural nouns for men. The accusative also splits: všetkých for men (Poznám všetkých študentov.) and všetky for the rest (Poznám všetky ženy.). The other cases have one form: všetkých, všetkým, všetkými.
Všetok, všetka, všetko: all of something. In the singular, všetok means all of an amount: všetka voda, všetok čas. Všetko alone means everything: Všetko je v poriadku. After všetko, a relative clause starts with čo: všetko, čo viem.
Celý: whole. Celý means from beginning to end or complete: celý deň (the whole day), celá rodina (the whole family), celé mesto (the whole town). Compare celý deň (all day long) with každý deň (every day).
Examples (6)
- Každý deň chodím do práce pešo.
I walk to work every day.
Word by Word: Every day I-go to work on-foot.
- Všetci študenti prišli načas.
All the students came on time.
Word by Word: All students came on-time.
Študenti names people and includes men, so all is všetci.
- Všetky ženy dostali kvety.
All the women got flowers.
Word by Word: All women got flowers.
- Celý týždeň pršalo.
It rained the whole week.
Word by Word: Whole week it-rained.
- Všetko je v poriadku.
Everything is fine.
Word by Word: Everything is in order.
- Každý to vie.
Everyone knows that.
Word by Word: Everyone it knows.
Každý takes a singular verb.
Common Mistakes
Using každý in the plural to mean all.
Každí študenti majú knihu.Všetci študenti majú knihu.Každý means each one, so it goes with a singular noun: Každý študent má knihu. For the whole group, use všetci.
Using všetci for a group without men.
Všetci ženy prišli.Všetky ženy prišli.Všetci is only for masculine nouns that name people, such as študenti or ľudia. Women, things and animals take všetky.
Saying every when you mean the whole.
Každý deň som spal, lebo som bol chorý.Celý deň som spal, lebo som bol chorý.To say you slept all day long on one day, use celý deň. Každý deň means on every day, which is a different meaning.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before Every, All and Whole, learn Adjective Agreement and Plural of Nouns for Men. každý, všetci and celý agree like adjectives. všetci is the men form of the plural.
Related Patterns
- Hard Adjectives Like pekný
Každý and celý decline exactly like pekný.
Level 2 - tí / tie, oni / onyPlural Words for Men and Others
Tí / tie and oni / ony show the same split for men and others.
Level 3 - nikto / nič / nikdyNobody, Nothing and Never
The negative partners: nikto (nobody) and nič (nothing).
Level 2 - mnohí / niekoľkí / viaceríMany and Several People
Other words for how much of a group, with the same special form for men.
Level 5 - Relative čo After všetko and niečo
After všetko, a relative clause starts with čo: všetko, čo mám.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice každý / všetci / celý in Bubblegum
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