Practice JLPTHow to tell them apart
ごとに marks regular intervals at which something happens, like 三日ごとに (every third day), while ずつ marks an equal amount distributed or repeated each time, like 三冊ずつ (three books each). The test is whether you are counting intervals between events (ごとに) or dividing a quantity evenly across instances (ずつ). Saying 三日ずつ for a schedule is wrong because days are intervals, not portions handed out.
- ごとに Use ごとに when an event repeats at fixed intervals in time or space.
- ずつ Use ずつ when an equal quantity is distributed or repeated per instance.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| ごとに gotoni | Every / at each interval | N4 |
| ずつ zutsu | Each; at a time; little by little | N4 |
ごとに gotoni
Every / at each interval
Every | Something takes place regularly in succession after a certain temporal or spatial interval.
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一課ごとに試験がある。
There is a test after every lesson.
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三日ごとにテニスをしています。
I'm playing tennis every third day.
ずつ zutsu
Each; at a time; little by little
By; at a time. | A particle that indicates equal distribution of quantity.
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ゴルフが少しずつ上手になって来た。
I have become a better golfer bit by bit.
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毎月三冊ずつ本を買っています。
I'm buying three books per month.
ごとに and ずつ are both JLPT N4 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side — meanings, usage and example sentences — so you can tell them apart.