cada

Cada is a word used in Spanish as a determiner and adjective meaning "each" or "every." It introduces a single member of a set or emphasizes repetition across items or instances. In Portuguese, it has the same meaning and is used similarly, though the specific collocations differ.

In Spanish, cada is invariable and always precedes a singular noun: “Cada día trae nuevas oportunidades,” “Cada persona debe presentar su documento.” After cada you place a singular noun; the gender of the noun can be masculine or feminine, but it cannot be plural (except in fixed phrases like “cada uno” / “cada una”). It can also function as a pronoun when combined with uno/una: “Cada uno respondió,” “Cada una de las participantes.”

Common expressions include phrases formed with a following unit or time, such as “a cada paso” or “a cada rato,” which convey senses like “at every step” or “every now and then,” depending on context. In everyday usage, cada often appears in questions and statements about distribution, frequency, or individuality within a group.

Differences from otras palabras like todo or todo el are that cada highlights individuality within a group and refers to each member in turn, whereas todo expresses totality or the whole set. The word is widely used in formal and informal registers, and it appears across tenses and moods as a standard element of Spanish syntax.

Examples: “Cada niño recibió un regalo.” “Cada vez que llueve, llevo paraguas.” “¿Has leído cada capítulo?”