Quick Answer
Mỗi means "each" or "every," focusing on individual items or occurrences within a group, often implying a fixed frequency or distribution. Từng also means "each" or "every," but emphasizes distinctness, a sequential process, or an exhaustive review of every single item. Các is a general plural marker, meaning "all," "the" plural, or "various" items, referring to a group as a whole without specific individual emphasis or sequence.
Comparison Table
| Feature | mỗi (每 - MỖI) | từng (從 - TÙNG / 層 - TẰNG) | các (各 - CÁC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Meaning | Each, Every | Each and Every, One by One, All (exhaustively) | The (plural), All, Various |
| Focus | Individuality, regular distribution, fixed quantity/frequency. | Distinctness, sequence, thoroughness, exhaustive enumeration. | Plurality, group as a whole, general reference to multiple items. |
| Usage Context | When referring to individual units within a set, or a regular interval. | When emphasizing that every single one is considered distinctly or sequentially. | When referring to multiple items or people as a group, or when implying "all" without individual focus. |
| Example Sentence 1 | Mỗi học sinh có một quyển sách. (Each student has one book.) | Từng học sinh một đi vào lớp. (Each student, one by one, entered the class.) | Các học sinh đang học bài. (The students / All the students are studying.) |
| Example Sentence 2 | Tôi đi bộ mỗi ngày. (I walk every day.) | Anh ấy đã đọc từng chữ trong hợp đồng. (He read every single word in the contract.) | Các món ăn ở đây rất ngon. (The dishes here are very delicious.) |
Detailed Explanation
Understanding the subtle distinctions between mỗi, từng, and các is crucial for natural Vietnamese communication, even at an A2 level. While all three can relate to multiple items, their emphasis and connotations differ significantly.
mỗi (每 - MỖI)
Use mỗi when you want to refer to individual items or occurrences within a group, often implying regularity, distribution, or a fixed measure. It treats each member as a unit, typically conveying a sense of "each and every one" in a straightforward manner without emphasizing distinct action or sequence. It frequently precedes a noun or a unit of time.
Focus: Individual items, regular intervals, distribution. Examples: mỗi người (each person), mỗi tuần (every week), mỗi quyển (each book).
từng (從 - TÙNG / 層 - TẰNG)
Use từng when you want to emphasize the distinctness or separation of each item, often implying a sequential consideration, a thorough examination, or a "one by one" action. It conveys a strong sense of exhaustiveness and is used when you want to highlight that every single one was addressed individually or in a specific order. It implies a deeper focus on each item than mỗi.
Focus: Distinctness, sequence, thoroughness, exhaustive processing. Examples: từng bước (step by step), từng chi tiết (each detail, one by one), từng người một (each person, one by one).
các (各 - CÁC)
Use các as a general plural marker for "the" (plural), "all," or "various." It refers to a collection or group of items without emphasizing their individual characteristics or a sequential process. It's often used with nouns that refer to people or animate objects, or abstract concepts that are plural, to indicate that there are multiple of them. It generalizes rather than specifies individuality or sequence.
Focus: Plurality, the group as a whole, general reference to multiple items. Examples: các bạn (you all / friends), các vấn đề (the problems / all problems), các loại hoa (various types of flowers).
Example Pairs
Mỗi học sinh phải nộp bài tập.
Each student must submit homework.
Từng học sinh được gọi lên bảng kiểm tra.
Each student (one by one) was called to the board for a check.
Tôi uống trà mỗi sáng.
I drink tea every morning.
Anh ấy phân tích từng yếu tố một.
He analyzed each factor (one by one).
Giá của mỗi sản phẩm là 100.000 đồng.
The price of each product is 100,000 VND.
Các sản phẩm này đều được giảm giá.
All these products are discounted.
Mỗi thành phố có một đặc trưng riêng.
Each city has its own unique characteristic.
Chúng tôi đã ghé thăm từng thành phố lớn trong chuyến đi đó.
We visited each major city (one by one, exhaustively) on that trip.
Mỗi người có một ý kiến khác nhau.
Each person has a different opinion.
Các người có thể bắt đầu bây giờ.
You all can start now.
Mỗi năm, lễ hội được tổ chức vào tháng Tư.
Every year, the festival is held in April.
Từng trang của cuốn sách này đều có hình minh họa.
Each page (one by one) of this book has illustrations.
Mỗi phòng có một cửa sổ lớn.
Each room has a large window.
Tất cả các phòng đều sạch sẽ.
All the rooms are clean.
Anh ấy gửi email cho mỗi đối tác.
He sent an email to each partner.
Anh ấy đã kiểm tra từng email trong hộp thư.
He checked each email (one by one) in the inbox.
Common Patterns
Mỗi: Often used with time expressions for regularity: mỗi ngày (every day), mỗi tuần (every week), mỗi tháng (every month), mỗi năm (every year). Also with quantifiers: mỗi người một phần (each person one portion). Từng: Often used to emphasize a process or thoroughness: từng bước (step by step), từng chút một (little by little), từng li từng tí (meticulously, every little bit). Các: Commonly used as a plural vocative or general plural marker: các bạn (friends / you all), các anh chị (brothers and sisters / elders), các loại (various kinds), các vấn đề (the problems).
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1 — Using mỗi for a general plural group
Learners sometimes use mỗi when they intend to refer to a general group of items, similar to "the" plural in English, rather than individual units.
❌ Mỗi sinh viên rất thông minh.
✅ Các sinh viên rất thông minh.
The mistake is using mỗi, which implies "each individual student" and suggests they are all intelligent, which is grammatically awkward for a general statement about "students." Các is the correct choice here to refer to "the students" or "all students" generally as a group, stating that the group as a whole (or its members) are intelligent.
Mistake 2 — Confusing mỗi and từng when sequence or distinctness is key
While both can mean "each," interchanging them can lose the nuance of sequential action or exhaustive review.
❌ Chúng tôi xem mỗi bức ảnh trong album.
✅ Chúng tôi xem từng bức ảnh trong album.
The mistake uses mỗi, which implies viewing each photo, but misses the nuance of careful, distinct, or sequential viewing. Từng is more appropriate here because it conveys the action of going through the album and examining "each and every" photo one by one, implying thoroughness.
Mistake 3 — Using từng when a general plural is sufficient
Sometimes learners over-emphasize distinctness with từng when a simple plural reference is needed.
❌ Từng người đang nói chuyện trong phòng.
✅ Các người đang nói chuyện trong phòng.
The mistake uses từng, which implies "each person (one by one) is talking," creating an awkward and overly specific image if the intention is simply to state that "the people" or "all the people" are talking. Các is the natural choice for a general reference to multiple people in a group who are engaged in an activity.
Quick Quiz
Fill in the blank with mỗi or từng:
Ông giáo kiểm tra _____ bài làm của học sinh.
Hint: The teacher is likely checking all assignments individually and carefully.
Answer
Correct answer: từng. The full sentence is: Ông giáo kiểm tra từng bài làm của học sinh. This implies that the teacher checked each and every assignment thoroughly and distinctly.
Fill in the blank with mỗi or các:
Chúng tôi đi chợ _____ cuối tuần.
Hint: This refers to a regular, recurring event at a fixed interval.
Answer
Correct answer: mỗi. The full sentence is: Chúng tôi đi chợ mỗi cuối tuần. This means "we go to the market every weekend," indicating regularity.
Fill in the blank with từng or các:
_____ đồ vật trong phòng đều cũ kỹ.
Hint: This describes the state of multiple objects as a group, not emphasizing a one-by-one process.
Answer
Correct answer: các. The full sentence is: Các đồ vật trong phòng đều cũ kỹ. This means "all the objects in the room are old," referring to them collectively.