-tadan

Each: -tadan

Level 4

Add -tadan to a number to say "each": Bolalarga ikkitadan olma berdim (I gave the children two apples each).

How It Works

To share things out evenly, add -tadan to a number. It is the counting ending -ta plus -dan, and grammar books call it the distributive numeral (taqsim son).

  • bittadan: one each (from bitta, so not "birtadan")
  • ikkitadan: two each
  • beshtadan: five each
  • oʻntadan: ten each
  • nechtadan?: how many each?

Total or each? This is the key difference:

  • Bolalarga ikkita olma berdim: I gave the children two apples (two in total).
  • Bolalarga ikkitadan olma berdim: I gave the children two apples each.

Sentences with -tadan often also contain har: Har biriga ikkitadan olma berdi (She gave each of them two apples).

The noun stays singular, just as after any number (singular noun after numbers): ikkitadan olma, not ikkitadan olmalar.

In groups. With boʻlib, -tadan tells you the size of each group: Ikkitadan boʻlib turinglar (Stand in pairs).

With measures. After a unit such as kilo or a price, plain -dan gives the "each" meaning: Har biriga ikki kilodan un berildi (Each was given two kilos of flour).

Examples (6)

  1. Har biriga ikkitadan olma berdi.

    She gave each of them two apples.

    Word by Word: Every one-of-them-to two-each apple gave.

    Two for each person.

  2. Bolalarga bittadan konfet berdim.

    I gave the children one sweet each.

    Word by Word: Children-to one-each sweet gave-I.

    One each is bittadan.

  3. Talabalar uchtadan kitob olishdi.

    The students took three books each.

    Word by Word: Students three-each book took.

    The noun stays singular.

  4. Kuniga uch marta ikkitadan tabletka iching.

    Take two tablets three times a day.

    Word by Word: Day-its-to three time two-each tablet drink.

    Two at each time.

  5. Nechtadan olamiz?

    How many each should we take?

    Word by Word: How-many-each take-we?

    Nechtadan asks about each share.

  6. Ikkitadan boʻlib turinglar.

    Stand in pairs.

    Word by Word: Two-each being stand-you-all.

    With boʻlib: the size of each group.

Common Mistakes

  • Building "one each" from bir.

    Bolalarga birtadan konfet berdim.
    Bolalarga bittadan konfet berdim.

    Bir plus -ta is bitta, so "one each" is bittadan.

  • Making the noun plural after -tadan.

    Har biriga ikkitadan olmalar berdi.
    Har biriga ikkitadan olma berdi.

    After a number, including -tadan, the noun stays singular.

  • Using plain -ta when you mean "each".

    Bolalarga ikkita olma berdim. (meaning: two apples each)
    Bolalarga ikkitadan olma berdim.

    Ikkita is two in total. To give every child two, use ikkitadan.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-tadanLevel 4Each: -tadan

Learn This First

Builds on The Counting Suffix -ta and From: -dan.

Words in This Pattern

ta