Core Meaning
각자 (各自) means "each one," "individually," "apart," or "separately." It emphasizes the individual units within a group, highlighting that an action is done by, for, or applies to every single person on their own.
The key idea is distribution among individuals.
Primary Usages
1. As an Adverb (How an action is done)
When used as an adverb, it describes that people are doing something individually or separately from each other.
Example: "우리는 각자 점심을 먹으러 갔어요."
(We went to eat lunch separately / each on our own.)- Meaning: Instead of going to lunch together as a group, each person went on their own, possibly to different places.
Example: "학생들은 각자 집에 갔다."
(The students went home each on their own / individually.)
2. As a Pronoun (Each person/thing itself)
It can also function as a pronoun that stands in for "each person" or "each one."
Example: "각자가 할 일을 하세요."
(Each person should do their own task.)- Meaning: Person A does task A, Person B does task B, etc.
Example: "각자의 의견이 달랐다."
(Each person's opinion was different.)
Common Phrases and Contexts
- 각자도생 (各自圖生): A very common four-character idiom meaning "Each person must fend for themselves." It describes a situation where there's no collective help, and everyone is on their own.
- "각자 알아서 하다": To do something as one sees fit, individually. This phrase is extremely common.
- "회의가 끝나면 각자 알아서 퇴근하세요." (When the meeting is over, you can leave on your own discretion.)
- "각자 가진 것": What each person has.
Nuance and Emphasis
The emphasis of 각자 is on the individuality and separation within a collective. It's used to show that a group is not acting as a single unit but as a collection of independent individuals.
"각자" vs. Related Words
각자 (Gakja) vs. 모두 (Modu):
- 각자: "Each one" (focus on the individuals within the group).
- 모두: "All" or "Everyone" (focus on the group as a whole).
- Example: "각자 도시락을 가져왔지만, 모두 같이 먹었어요." (Each person brought their own lunchbox, but everyone ate together.)
각자 (Gakja) vs. 제각기 (Jegakgi):
- 각자: A standard term for "each one."
- 제각기: Carries a stronger nuance of "each in their own different way." It emphasizes diversity or variation in how individuals act.
- Example: "아이들은 제각기 다른 꿈을 가지고 있다." (Children each and every one have different dreams.)
In Conclusion:
"각자" is a crucial word for describing situations where members of a group act independently. Whether you're talking about people paying for their own meals, going their separate ways after work, or having individual responsibilities, 각자 is the word you use to highlight that individual, separate action within a collective context. It's the key to expressing "every man for himself" or "on your own" in Korean.