Japanese Grammar N3: ずつ (zutsu) – Distribution and Gradual Change

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Japanese Grammar N3: ずつ (zutsu) – Distribution and Gradual Change
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

Each; at a time; little by little.

🎯 Primary Function

To indicate that a specific amount or quantity is distributed equally or repeated in steady increments.

📋 Grammar Structure

[Number/Counter] + ずつ
Not applicable (usually used with counters/nouns of quantity)
Not applicable (usually used with counters/nouns of quantity)
[Number/Counter] + ずつ + [Negative Verb]

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Commonly used in instructions, business distribution, or medical prescriptions.

😊 Informal Situations

Used frequently in daily life when sharing food, talking about progress, or splitting costs.

✍️ Written Language

Commonly found in manuals, recipes, and textbooks.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Very natural and frequent in daily conversation.

💡 Common Applications

Equal Distribution
Used when dividing items equally among a group.
Example: 一人に二つずつ (Two for each person)
Gradual Change/Progression
Used to describe a process that happens steadily over time.
Example: 少しずつ (Little by little)
Repetitive Action
Used when an action is repeated in specific increments.
Example: 一歩ずつ (Step by step)
📊
Frequency
High
🎚️
Difficulty
N3
Tag:

Related Kanji

JLPT N3 Kanji List

Related Vocabulary

JLPT N3 Vocabulary List
Example Sentences
Example #1
一人ずつ部屋に入ってください。
Furigana: ひとりずつへやにはいってください。
Romaji: Hitori zutsu heya ni haitte kudasai.
English: Please enter the room one person at a time.
Example #2
子供たちにリンゴを二個ずつあげました。
Furigana: こどもたちにりんごをにこずつあげました。
Romaji: Kodomo-tachi ni ringo o niko zutsu agemashita.
English: I gave two apples to each child.
Example #3
日本語が少しずつ上手になっています。
Furigana: にほんごがすこしずつじょうずになっています。
Romaji: Nihongo ga sukoshi zutsu jouzu ni natte imasu.
English: My Japanese is improving little by little.
Example #4
この薬を一日三回、一錠ずつ飲んでください。
Furigana: このくすりをいちにちさんかい、いじょうずつのんでください。
Romaji: Kono kusuri o ichinichi sankai, ichijou zutsu nonde kudasai.
English: Please take this medicine three times a day, one tablet at a time.
Example #5
食事代を二千円ずつ払いました。
Furigana: しょくじだいをにせんえんずつはらいました。
Romaji: Shokujidai o nisen-en zutsu haraimashita.
English: We shared the cost of the meal by paying 2,000 yen each.
Example #6
問題を一つずつ解決していきましょう。
Furigana: もんだいをひとつずつかいけつしていきましょう。
Romaji: Mondai o hitotsu zutsu kaiketsu shite ikimashou.
English: Let’s solve the problems one by one.
Example #7
花の種が少しずつ芽を出し始めました。
Furigana: はなのたねがすこしずつめをだしはじめました。
Romaji: Hana no tane ga sukoshi zutsu me o dashihajimemashita.
English: The flower seeds are starting to sprout bit by bit.
Example #8
毎晩、本を10ページずつ読んでいます。
Furigana: まいばん、ほんをじゅうページずつよんでいます。
Romaji: Maiban, hon o ju-peeji zutsu yonde imasu.
English: I read ten pages of the book every night.
Example #9
一歩ずつゆっくり前に進んでください。
Furigana: いっぽずつゆっくりまえにすすんでください。
Romaji: Ippo zutsu yukkuri mae ni susunde kudasai.
English: Walk forward slowly, one step at a time.
Example #10
毎日、新しい漢字を五個ずつ覚えます。
Furigana: まいにち、あたらしいかんじをごこずつおぼえます。
Romaji: Mainichi, atarashii kanji o goko zutsu oboemasu.
English: Every day, I memorize five new kanji.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Difference from ‘Okini’
Don’t confuse ‘ずつ’ (equal distribution) with ‘おきに’ (at intervals).
Example: 三回ずつ (Three times each) vs 三回おきに (Every three times)
Gradual Progress with ‘Sukoshi’
This is a set phrase used to describe improvement or gradual change.
Example: 少しずつ (Little by little)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ 一人づつ (Hitori dutsu) [Note: sometimes accepted but ‘ずつ’ is standard]
✅ 一人ずつ (Hitori zutsu)
Students sometimes confuse the spelling ‘ず’ (zu) with ‘づ’ (du). While historically related, the modern standard is ‘ずつ’.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral. It can be used in both polite and casual speech without changing form.
Social Situations: Essential for fairness in distribution, which is a valued concept in Japanese social interactions.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan.

🔍 Subtle Differences

ずつ vs ごとに (goto ni)
‘ずつ’ focuses on the quantity distributed per unit, while ‘ごとに’ focuses on the frequency or every interval.
When to use: Use ‘ずつ’ for ‘2 per person’; use ‘ごとに’ for ‘every person’.

📝 Conjugation Notes

ずつ is a particle and does not conjugate. It directly follows counters (枚, 本, 個, etc.) or nouns representing amount (少し, いくら).

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Ensure the ‘tsu’ is crisp and distinct from ‘zu’. Practice ‘zu-tsu’ to get the transition right.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of ‘zutsu’ as the ‘Equalizer’. It ensures everyone gets the same amount or that things happen in steady, even steps.

Other Grammar

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