{"id":60850,"date":"2026-05-28T09:11:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T00:11:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/?p=60850"},"modified":"2026-05-28T09:11:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T00:11:18","slug":"italian-share-out-numbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-share-out-numbers\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian A Due A Due, Tre Per Ciascuno: &#8216;Each&#8217; Numbers (B1)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udd0d <strong>In short.<\/strong> When you want to say &#8220;two by two&#8221;, &#8220;one each&#8221;, &#8220;five per person&#8221;, or &#8220;three at a time&#8221; in Italian, you reach for <strong>italian share out numbers<\/strong>: a small family of patterns that English handles with &#8220;each&#8221;, &#8220;per&#8221;, &#8220;apiece&#8221; or &#8220;by&#8221;. The four big workhorses are <em>a due a due<\/em> (two by two), <em>tre per ciascuno<\/em> (three each), <em>cinque a testa<\/em> (five per head, casual) and <em>siamo in tre<\/em> (there are three of us). Each pattern fits a different situation: doubled <em>a X a X<\/em> for &#8220;X at a time&#8221;, <em>per ciascuno<\/em> for formal sharing, <em>a testa<\/em> for the breezy spoken version, and <em>in + number<\/em> for grouping people. Get the four right and your Italian sounds far more native, whether you&#8217;re splitting cannoli on New Year&#8217;s Eve in Catanzaro or counting kilometres per litre on the autostrada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This B1 guide walks through the italian share out numbers one by one, with examples from a real Italian pasticceria, a cheat sheet, a dialogue between Velleda and Giuseppe planning their cenone, and a quiz to lock in the choices. By the end you&#8217;ll know which of the italian share out numbers fits each everyday situation, from buying torrone to splitting a cake among twelve people.<\/p>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-toc-shr\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-toc-h-shr gb-headline-text\" style=\"text-align:center;font-size:24px\">Cosa impareremo oggi<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc46\ud83c\udffb Jump to section<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" \/>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#one-liner\">The four italian share out numbers at a glance<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#a-due-a-due\">A due a due, uno a uno: X at a time<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#per-ciascuno\">Tre per ciascuno: the share-out frame<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#a-testa\">A testa and l&#8217;uno: the casual versions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#in-tre\">In due, in tre: counting the group<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#per\">Per as the all-purpose &#8216;per&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#cadauno\">Cadauno: the price-tag word<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#cheat-sheet\">Cheat sheet<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#dialogue\">Dialogue at the pasticceria in Catanzaro<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#mini-challenge\">Mini-challenge<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#related\">Related guides<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#quiz\">Quiz<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"one-liner\">The four italian share out numbers at a glance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Picture Velleda lining up trays of cannoli the morning of the cenone. She has three jobs: count items, split them between guests, and tell her brother how many people are coming to dinner. Italian gives her a different pattern for each. The italian share out numbers are not one rule but a small family, and choosing among them depends on what you are actually doing with the number.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>X at a time<\/strong> (one by one, two by two): <em>a uno a uno, a due a due, a quattro a quattro<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>X each, formal<\/strong> (three each, two per child): <em>tre per ciascuno, due per bambino<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>X each, casual \/ spoken<\/strong>: <em>tre a testa, dieci euro l&#8217;uno<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>How many of us<\/strong> (the group): <em>siamo in tre, in dodici al cenone<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Per measure<\/strong> (per kilometre, per litre): <em>cinque persone per maso, sette litri per cento chilometri<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The italian share out numbers do overlap a little. <em>Tre per ciascuno<\/em> and <em>tre a testa<\/em> often mean the same thing; the difference is register and tone. <em>A due a due<\/em> and <em>in due<\/em> both involve two people, but they say different things: <em>a due a due<\/em> describes how a process unfolds (children entering the shop two at a time), while <em>in due<\/em> describes the group size (the two of us together). Get the patterns sorted, and italian share out numbers stop sounding like a guessing game. The five families above cover almost every everyday situation where the italian share out numbers show up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a-due-a-due\">A due a due, uno a uno: X at a time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first family of italian share out numbers takes the same word twice with <em>a<\/em> on both sides: <em>a uno a uno, a due a due, a tre a tre, a quattro a quattro<\/em>. This frame describes how a process happens, in steady portions, one chunk at a time. Native speakers strongly prefer the doubled <em>a<\/em> form; the Treccani usage notes flag <em>a due a due<\/em> as the better choice, with bare <em>due a due<\/em> sounding clipped.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I bambini entravano in pasticceria a due a due per non bloccare la porta.<\/li>\n<li>Velleda ha contato i cannoli uno a uno mentre li metteva nel vassoio.<\/li>\n<li>La nonna ha distribuito i mostaccioli a quattro a quattro perch\u00e9 i piatti erano piccoli.<\/li>\n<li>I pasticcini si vendono a sei a sei, non se ne pu\u00f2 comprare uno solo.<\/li>\n<li>Velleda fa salire gli ospiti in cucina a due a due perch\u00e9 lo spazio \u00e8 poco.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Notice that <em>uno a uno<\/em> (one by one) sometimes drops the first <em>a<\/em> in writing. Both <em>a uno a uno<\/em> and <em>uno a uno<\/em> appear in print and in speech. With other numbers in this family of italian share out numbers, the doubled-preposition form is much more common: you will hear <em>a due a due<\/em> and <em>a tre a tre<\/em>, almost never bare <em>due a due<\/em>. Before a vowel the <em>a<\/em> often becomes <em>ad<\/em> for sound: <em>a uno ad uno<\/em> is the version you&#8217;ll meet most often in careful writing of italian share out numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-task-shr-1\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83c\udfaf <strong>Mini-challenge:<\/strong> Fill in the right &#8220;X at a time&#8221; form.<\/p>\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Gli invitati arrivavano ___ ___ ___ (two at a time) per evitare il traffico in cortile.<\/li>\n<li>Giuseppe ha aperto i regali ___ ___ ___ (one by one) sotto l&#8217;albero.<\/li>\n<li>I petardi li abbiamo accesi ___ ___ ___ (three at a time) sul terrazzo a mezzanotte.<\/li>\n<li>Le scatole di torrone le ho impilate ___ ___ ___ (four at a time) per non farle cadere.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<details><summary><strong>\ud83d\udc49 See answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>1. <strong>a due a due<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>2. <strong>uno a uno<\/strong> (or <em>a uno a uno<\/em>)<\/p>\n<p>3. <strong>a tre a tre<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>4. <strong>a quattro a quattro<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"per-ciascuno\">Tre per ciascuno: the share-out frame<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The second family of italian share out numbers uses <em>per<\/em> + a word meaning &#8220;each&#8221;: <em>per ciascuno, per persona, per bambino, per ospite, per testa<\/em>. This is the formal, written, neutral way to say &#8220;X each&#8221; or &#8220;X per Y&#8221;. You meet it in invitations (&#8220;due bottiglie per ospite&#8221;), in recipes (&#8220;un uovo per persona&#8221;), in school notes (&#8220;un libro per studente&#8221;), and in the kind of sober prose where <em>a testa<\/em> would feel too casual.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Giuseppe ha comprato tre cartellate per ciascuno dei nipoti.<\/li>\n<li>Per il brindisi serviamo due fl\u00fbte per persona.<\/li>\n<li>La maestra ha distribuito un libro per bambino e una matita per ciascuno.<\/li>\n<li>Giuseppe ha gi\u00e0 messo da parte una fetta di pitta &#8216;nchiusa per ciascuno.<\/li>\n<li>I petardi li abbiamo divisi cinque per ciascuno, cos\u00ec nessuno si lamenta.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two small things to watch when you build italian share out numbers with <em>per ciascuno<\/em>. First, the number always goes <strong>before<\/strong> <em>per<\/em>: <em>tre per ciascuno<\/em>, not <em>per ciascuno tre<\/em>. Second, when the noun after <em>per<\/em> is a noun of category (bambino, persona, ospite), Italian almost always keeps it singular: <em>due bottiglie per ospite<\/em>, never <em>per ospiti<\/em>. The same pattern in English would force &#8220;per guest&#8221;, and Italian aligns with that singular usage. This singular-noun habit is one of the small signatures of natural italian share out numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a-testa\">A testa and l&#8217;uno: the casual versions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When italian share out numbers go into ordinary conversation, the formal <em>per ciascuno<\/em> often gives way to two breezier alternatives: <em>a testa<\/em> (literally &#8220;per head&#8221;) and <em>l&#8217;uno<\/em> (literally &#8220;the one&#8221;, agreeing with the item). Both mean &#8220;each&#8221;, but they sit lower on the register dial. You would write <em>tre euro per persona<\/em> in a wedding invitation and say <em>tre euro a testa<\/em> over coffee. The meaning is identical.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Quest&#8217;anno abbiamo previsto due bottiglie di passito a testa, forse anche tre.<\/li>\n<li>Le scatole di torrone costano otto euro l&#8217;una in pasticceria, quindici in centro.<\/li>\n<li>Abbiamo ordinato una birra a testa prima del cenone.<\/li>\n<li>I biglietti per il cinema all&#8217;aperto vengono cinque euro l&#8217;uno.<\/li>\n<li>I cugini hanno portato un dolce a testa, cos\u00ec non si \u00e8 ripetuto nulla.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A useful rule of thumb for these casual italian share out numbers. <em>A testa<\/em> is for people: <em>una birra a testa, dieci euro a testa<\/em>. <em>L&#8217;uno \/ l&#8217;una<\/em> is for items being priced or counted: <em>otto euro l&#8217;una<\/em> (the boxes), <em>tre euro l&#8217;uno<\/em> (the biglietti). They are not interchangeable in every sentence. You wouldn&#8217;t say <em>otto euro a testa<\/em> if the scatole are the ones costing eight euros; you&#8217;d say <em>otto euro l&#8217;una<\/em>. People take <em>a testa<\/em>, items take <em>l&#8217;uno<\/em>. This split is one of the most useful sub-rules of the italian share out numbers system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"in-tre\">In due, in tre: counting the group<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One pattern in the italian share out numbers family does not split anything at all: it gathers. <em>In + number<\/em> tells you how many people form a group doing something together. <em>Siamo in tre<\/em> means &#8220;there are three of us&#8221; with the strong implication &#8220;we three, together&#8221;. You hear it constantly in restaurants (&#8220;siamo in cinque&#8221;), at work (&#8220;siamo in due a finire il progetto&#8221;), in cars (&#8220;in sette non ci stiamo dentro&#8221;), and in any context where a group is acting as one.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Per il cenone di Capodanno saremo in dodici, contando anche la cugina di Cosenza.<\/li>\n<li>Andiamo a prendere il caff\u00e8 in cinque, ci stiamo in macchina senza problemi.<\/li>\n<li>Velleda e Giuseppe lavorano in pasticceria in tre, di solito, ma a Natale chiamano un&#8217;aiutante.<\/li>\n<li>Siete andati al ristorante in otto e non avete prenotato?<\/li>\n<li>In sette proprio non ci stiamo dentro quella macchina, prendiamone due.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Watch the contrast with the plain enumeration <em>sono tre<\/em>. <em>Sono tre<\/em> means &#8220;they number three&#8221;, a flat count: <em>i pacchi sono tre<\/em>, the parcels are three. <em>Sono in tre<\/em> means &#8220;they form a group of three&#8221;, with the human, collective sense: <em>i fratelli sono in tre<\/em>, the brothers are a trio. With <em>essere<\/em>, the <em>in<\/em> can sometimes be omitted, but only in a strict enumeration: <em>sono due<\/em> = there are two of them; <em>sono in due<\/em> = they form a pair, acting together. Once a verb of action follows, <em>in<\/em> is needed: <em>lavoriamo in due<\/em>, never <em>lavoriamo due<\/em>. Among the italian share out numbers, this <em>in +<\/em> number pattern is the only one that gathers rather than divides.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-task-shr-2\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83c\udfaf <strong>Mini-challenge:<\/strong> Choose between <em>a testa<\/em>, <em>l&#8217;uno\/l&#8217;una<\/em>, <em>per ciascuno<\/em>, or <em>in + number<\/em>.<\/p>\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ho preso quattro arance, costano due euro ___ (each, items).<\/li>\n<li>Abbiamo prenotato il tavolo: stasera siamo ___ ___ (six of us).<\/li>\n<li>La maestra ha dato un quaderno ___ ___ (each pupil, formal).<\/li>\n<li>Per il brindisi prendete due fl\u00fbte ___ ___ (each, casual).<\/li>\n<li>Per finire il trasloco in giornata lavoriamo ___ ___ (three of us together).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<details><summary><strong>\ud83d\udc49 See answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>1. due euro <strong>l&#8217;una<\/strong> (items, le arance, feminine)<\/p>\n<p>2. siamo <strong>in sei<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>3. un quaderno <strong>per ciascuno<\/strong> (or <em>per alunno<\/em>)<\/p>\n<p>4. due fl\u00fbte <strong>a testa<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>5. lavoriamo <strong>in tre<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"per\">Per as the all-purpose &#8216;per&#8217;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Outside the world of people sharing items, the italian share out numbers expand into measures, speeds, and rates with the workhorse preposition <em>per<\/em>. This is the same <em>per<\/em> as &#8220;per kilometre&#8221;, &#8220;per litre&#8221;, &#8220;per million inhabitants&#8221;. The pattern is rigid: <strong>numeral + unit + per + measure<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Consuma solo sette litri per cento chilometri, niente male per una vecchia Punto.<\/li>\n<li>Si registrano una trentina di casi per milione di abitanti.<\/li>\n<li>Calcoliamo mediamente cinque persone per nucleo familiare nei piccoli centri della Sila.<\/li>\n<li>Il muratore chiede ottanta euro per metro quadro per le piastrelle.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One small twist for speeds and unit prices: instead of <em>per<\/em>, Italian often uses <em>a<\/em> or simply the bare article. <em>Faceva centocinquanta chilometri all&#8217;ora<\/em>, <em>costa mille euro al chilo<\/em>, <em>il caff\u00e8 viene un euro la tazzina<\/em>. All three constructions coexist; the <em>al\/all&#8217;\/la<\/em> + measure version sounds the most everyday for speeds and prices, while <em>per<\/em> stays neutral and works everywhere. These rate-based italian share out numbers are the ones you&#8217;ll meet in newspapers, recipes, and on motorway signs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cadauno\">Cadauno: the price-tag word<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One last word belongs in the italian share out numbers family, but it lives almost entirely in price tags and invoices: <em>cadauno<\/em>, often shortened to <em>cad.<\/em> in writing. <em>Maglie 20 euro cadauna<\/em>, <em>cornici 12 euro cad.<\/em>. You will spot it on market stalls, on flyers, in supermarket promos, and on commercial invoices. In speech it is rare and slightly bureaucratic.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cornici di legno 12 euro cadauna, oggi solo in pasticceria.<\/li>\n<li>Le scatole di mostaccioli sono in offerta a 5 euro cad.<\/li>\n<li>Sulle etichette del torrone leggi sempre <em>peso netto cadauno<\/em>, non <em>per pezzo<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Outside of price-tag context, you do not need to use <em>cadauno<\/em> at all. The casual <em>l&#8217;uno<\/em> or <em>a testa<\/em> will do the job in speech, and <em>per ciascuno<\/em> covers the formal written cases. <em>Cadauno<\/em> agrees in gender (cadauno \/ cadauna) and is invariable for number, which makes sense given it&#8217;s a per-unit word: there is no plural &#8220;each&#8221;. Of all the italian share out numbers, <em>cadauno<\/em> is the most register-locked: spot it on a flyer and you know you&#8217;re in commercial Italian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cheat-sheet\">Cheat sheet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One table to keep open while you build a sentence with italian share out numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table>\n<thead><tr><th>Meaning<\/th><th>Pattern<\/th><th>Example<\/th><th>Register<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr><td>X at a time<\/td><td>a + X + a + X<\/td><td>a due a due, a tre a tre<\/td><td>neutral, very common<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>One by one<\/td><td>uno a uno \/ a uno ad uno<\/td><td>contare i cannoli uno a uno<\/td><td>neutral<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>X each (formal)<\/td><td>numeral + per ciascuno \/ per persona<\/td><td>tre per ciascuno<\/td><td>written, formal<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>X each (people, casual)<\/td><td>numeral + a testa<\/td><td>una birra a testa<\/td><td>spoken, breezy<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>X each (items, price)<\/td><td>numeral + l&#8217;uno \/ l&#8217;una<\/td><td>otto euro l&#8217;una<\/td><td>neutral<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Group of X people<\/td><td>(essere \/ verb) + in + X<\/td><td>siamo in dodici<\/td><td>neutral<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Per measure<\/td><td>numeral + unit + per + measure<\/td><td>sette litri per cento chilometri<\/td><td>neutral, technical<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Per measure (speed \/ price)<\/td><td>numeral + unit + a\/al + measure<\/td><td>cento chilometri all&#8217;ora<\/td><td>everyday spoken<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>X each (price tag)<\/td><td>numeral + cadauno \/ cad.<\/td><td>maglie 20 euro cadauna<\/td><td>commercial<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"dialogue\">Dialogue at the pasticceria in Catanzaro<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Velleda and Giuseppe are finishing the last orders the morning of December 31 in their pasticceria in centro a Catanzaro. They have to count, split, price, and figure out who is coming to the cenone. Watch the italian share out numbers move through the conversation: <em>a due a due, per ciascuno, a testa, l&#8217;una, in dodici<\/em>, all in five minutes of work. The italian share out numbers tend to cluster around real tasks like this one, so the cenone is a perfect testing ground.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-dialog-shr\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc71\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2640\ufe0f <strong>Velleda:<\/strong> Giuse&#8217;, i cannoli li metto a due a due nel vassoio grande, cos\u00ec entrano tutti senza schiacciarsi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffd\u200d\ud83e\uddb1 <strong>Giuseppe:<\/strong> Bene. Quanti ne abbiamo finiti finora?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc71\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2640\ufe0f <strong>Velleda:<\/strong> Li ho contati uno a uno mentre li glassavo: sessantadue. Per il cenone in famiglia ne servono almeno cinque per ciascuno.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffd\u200d\ud83e\uddb1 <strong>Giuseppe:<\/strong> Stasera saremo in dodici, contando anche la cugina di Cosenza che porta il marito. Quindi sessanta cannoli giusti. Gli altri due li mangiamo noi qui adesso.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc71\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2640\ufe0f <strong>Velleda:<\/strong> Affare fatto. Senti, le scatole di torrone le hai messe in vetrina con il prezzo?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffd\u200d\ud83e\uddb1 <strong>Giuseppe:<\/strong> S\u00ec. Otto euro l&#8217;una le piccole, quindici le grandi. Quelle al pistacchio invece le ho marcate dodici cadauna, perch\u00e9 ci abbiamo speso di pi\u00f9.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc71\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2640\ufe0f <strong>Velleda:<\/strong> Perfetto. E la pitta &#8216;nchiusa?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffd\u200d\ud83e\uddb1 <strong>Giuseppe:<\/strong> Tagliata a fette spesse, una a testa basta e avanza. Ne ho gi\u00e0 messo da parte una fetta per ciascuno dei nipoti, anche per quello piccolo che non ha ancora i denti per masticarla.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc71\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2640\ufe0f <strong>Velleda:<\/strong> A proposito di nipoti, i petardi? Li hanno divisi loro?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffd\u200d\ud83e\uddb1 <strong>Giuseppe:<\/strong> S\u00ec, ne hanno cinque per ciascuno. Fanno venticinque petardi in tutto, abbastanza per non farsi male e per far rumore fino all&#8217;una di notte.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc71\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2640\ufe0f <strong>Velleda:<\/strong> Brindisi con il passito? Due bottiglie a testa mi sembrano troppe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffd\u200d\ud83e\uddb1 <strong>Giuseppe:<\/strong> Esagerata. Due bottiglie ogni quattro persone, semmai. Diciamo sei bottiglie in tutto, le portiamo su a due a due quando arrivano gli ospiti.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc71\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2640\ufe0f <strong>Velleda:<\/strong> Allora chiudiamo la pasticceria alle sei e saliamo. In dodici a tavola, sei a destra e sei a sinistra. Buon Capodanno fin da adesso.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffd\u200d\ud83e\uddb1 <strong>Giuseppe:<\/strong> Buon Capodanno, Velle&#8217;. Mi raccomando: cannoli a due a due, pitta a fette, e non far cadere nulla per le scale.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to notice in the dialogue<\/h3>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>A due a due<\/strong> twice: cannoli arranged in the tray, bottles carried up the stairs. The process happens in pairs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Uno a uno<\/strong>: Velleda counted the cannoli one by one while glazing them. The slow, item-by-item act.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Per ciascuno<\/strong> three times: cannoli for the cenone, slice of pitta for the nephews, petardi divided up. The neutral share-out form.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A testa<\/strong>: una fetta a testa, due bottiglie a testa. The breezy spoken equivalent of &#8220;per ciascuno&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li><strong>L&#8217;una<\/strong> + <strong>cadauna<\/strong>: pricing the boxes of torrone. <em>L&#8217;una<\/em> for the regular ones, <em>cadauna<\/em> on the pistachio label (the price-tag variant).<\/li>\n<li><strong>In dodici<\/strong>: the group size for the cenone. Not <em>siamo dodici<\/em>, but <em>siamo in dodici<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ogni quattro persone<\/strong>: a sibling pattern with <em>ogni<\/em>, useful when you split by ratio rather than per-person.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"mini-challenge\">Mini-challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-task-shr-final\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83c\udfaf <strong>Final challenge:<\/strong> Translate into natural Italian, picking the right share-out pattern.<\/p>\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The children entered the bakery two at a time.<\/li>\n<li>We are eight of us at dinner tonight.<\/li>\n<li>I bought three notebooks at four euros each.<\/li>\n<li>The teacher gave one book per pupil and a sticker for each one.<\/li>\n<li>The car does seven litres per hundred kilometres.<\/li>\n<li>We had a glass of wine each before midnight.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<details><summary><strong>\ud83d\udc49 See answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>1. <em>I bambini entravano in pasticceria a due a due.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>2. <em>Stasera a cena siamo in otto.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>3. <em>Ho comprato tre quaderni a quattro euro l&#8217;uno.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>4. <em>La maestra ha dato un libro per alunno e un adesivo per ciascuno.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>5. <em>La macchina consuma sette litri per cento chilometri.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>6. <em>Abbiamo bevuto un bicchiere di vino a testa prima di mezzanotte.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mastering italian share out numbers comes from spotting which job the number is doing: counting a process, splitting items, sizing a group, or expressing a rate. Read examples, listen to how Italians shop, order and plan, and the patterns will start to click without rule-memorising. Pair this guide with the quiz below to lock in italian share out numbers, and come back after a week to see what stuck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"quiz\">Test your understanding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Take the quiz below to test what you&#8217;ve learned about italian share out numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-quiz-shr60850\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n(Quiz coming soon)\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These questions about italian share out numbers come from real Italian learner forums and from native-speaker usage notes published by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.treccani.it\/enciclopedia\/a-mano-a-mano-a-poco-a-poco-a-due-a-due_(La-grammatica-italiana)\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Treccani entry on a mano a mano, a due a due<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-shr-q1\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Is it &#8216;a due a due&#8217; or &#8216;due a due&#8217;?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Both are heard, but native usage strongly prefers the doubled-preposition form a due a due. The same goes for the related phrases of italian share out numbers: a mano a mano (better than mano a mano), a poco a poco (better than poco a poco), a faccia a faccia (better than faccia a faccia). The bare forms are not wrong, just clipped. When in doubt, double the a: a due a due, a tre a tre, a quattro a quattro. Before a vowel, the second a often becomes ad for euphony: a uno ad uno. This doubled-preposition habit is one of the small style markers of italian share out numbers in writing.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-shr-q2\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What&#8217;s the difference between a testa, ciascuno, l&#8217;uno and cadauno?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>All four mean &#8216;each&#8217;, but they belong to different registers. A testa is casual, spoken, used with people: una birra a testa. Per ciascuno is neutral and formal, written: tre cannoli per ciascuno. L&#8217;uno (or l&#8217;una, agreeing with the item) is for prices and counted items: otto euro l&#8217;una. Cadauno (often shortened cad.) lives almost entirely on price tags and commercial invoices: maglie 20 euro cadauna. In speech, stick to a testa for people and l&#8217;uno for items. In writing, per ciascuno covers most cases.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-shr-q3\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Why &#8216;siamo in tre&#8217; and not &#8216;siamo tre&#8217;?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Sono tre means &#8216;they number three&#8217;, a flat enumeration: i pacchi sono tre, the parcels are three. Siamo in tre means &#8216;we are a group of three&#8217;, with the strong sense of acting together: siamo in tre a lavorare su questo progetto. The in is the marker that turns the number from a count into a group label. Once an action verb follows (lavoriamo, mangiamo, andiamo), in is required: lavoriamo in tre, never lavoriamo tre. With essere alone, in can sometimes be omitted, but only as plain enumeration: sono due (there are two) vs sono in due (they form a pair acting together).<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-shr-q4\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">When do I use per for distribution, and when do I use a?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>In italian share out numbers, per is the neutral, all-purpose option for rates and measures: sette litri per cento chilometri, cinque persone per nucleo, una trentina di casi per milione di abitanti. For speeds and unit prices, Italian often uses a \/ al \/ all&#8217; \/ la instead: cento chilometri all&#8217;ora, mille euro al chilo, il caffe un euro la tazzina. The a \/ al construction sounds the most everyday for these specific cases. For sharing items among people, the standard pattern in italian share out numbers is numeral + per ciascuno, while a testa is its casual spoken cousin.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-shr-q5\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Can I say &#8216;tre ciascuno&#8217; without &#8216;per&#8217;?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Yes, in informal speech: ho dato tre cioccolatini ciascuno. But the fuller per ciascuno is more common in careful Italian, especially in writing. The same goes for ciascuna with feminine items: le ragazze hanno ricevuto due rose per ciascuna. The shorter ciascuno without per drops into casual register and is more typical of spoken conversation. If you&#8217;re writing an invitation or a school note, use per ciascuno.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-shr-q6\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Is &#8216;a due a due&#8217; literary or do Italians really use it?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>It&#8217;s everyday Italian. You&#8217;ll hear a due a due any time something happens in pairs: kids walking into class, soldiers marching, dancers stepping, items packed in boxes, drinks served at a table. The same goes for a tre a tre, a quattro a quattro, a cinque a cinque. The pattern is not poetic or old-fashioned, just slightly more vivid than English &#8216;two by two&#8217;. Italians also use it to mean &#8216;one at a time but methodically&#8217;: contare i soldi uno a uno, mangiare le ciliegie a due a due. It belongs to the live core of italian share out numbers, not to literary reserves.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"related\">Related guides<\/h2>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-ogni-ciascuno-ognuno\/\">Italian Ogni, Ciascuno, Ognuno: &#8216;Each&#8217; and &#8216;Every&#8217; (A2)<\/a>: the each\/every family that pairs with these share-out patterns.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-special-numbers-uno-mille\/\">Italian Numbers: Uno, Zero, Mille, Milione (A1)<\/a>: the building blocks (uno, due, mille) used in every share-out frame.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/quanti-anni-hai-italian-numbers-audio-and-quiz\/\">Italian Numbers: Cardinals, Ordinals, Dates and Age<\/a>: complete numbers guide with audio.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.treccani.it\/enciclopedia\/a-mano-a-mano-a-poco-a-poco-a-due-a-due_(La-grammatica-italiana)\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Treccani: a mano a mano, a poco a poco, a due a due<\/a>: native institutional note on the doubled-preposition form.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\ud83d\udd0d In short. Italian uses a small family of patterns for &#8216;each&#8217;, &#8216;per&#8217;, &#8216;two by two&#8217;: a due a due, tre per ciascuno, cinque a testa, siamo in tre. This B1 guide sorts the italian share out numbers by register, with a pasticceria dialogue in Catanzaro.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10020,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1865,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-b1","category-lingua","no-featured-image-padding","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60850","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10020"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60850"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60850\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61560,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60850\/revisions\/61560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60850"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60850"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}