Новая грамматическая тема: конструкция «по + дательный/винительный» помогает сказать, что каждый получает что‑то своё.

It expresses distribution: who gets what each, or how much each.

A good English shortcut is:

• one each
• two each
• apiece
• per person

Examples:

• Студентам дали по книге. = The students were given a book each
• Мы взяли по чашке кофе. = We each took a cup of coffee
• Детям купили по два шарика. = The children were bought two balloons each

So the main idea is not just receiving something, but receiving it individually, one share per person.

Because this distributive по appears in two very common shapes.

1. With a simple noun, you usually get the dative singular

• по книге
• по яблоку
• по билету

Examples:

• Всем по билету
• Детям по яблоку

2. With numbers, Russian very often uses the normal counting form

• по два билета
• по три страницы
• по пять минут

Many beginner courses describe that second pattern as по + accusative.

So a practical learner rule is:

• bare noun after по → usually dative singular
• number + noun after по → usually the ordinary counting form

Because the phrase shows the amount for one person, not the total for the whole group.

So:

• Студентам дали по книге means each student got one book
• Детям дали по яблоку means each child got one apple

Russian is thinking:

• one student → one book
• one child → one apple

That is why the noun is often singular in this construction.

If the amount is more than one, you add a number:

• по две книги
• по три яблока
• по пять минут

A very useful pattern is:

• one each → по одному / по одной / по одному
• two each → по два / по две
• three each → по три
• five each → по пять

Examples:

• по одному билету = one ticket each
• по одной книге = one book each
• по одному яблоку = one apple each
• по два билета = two tickets each
• по две книги = two books each
• по три яблока = three apples each
• по пять минут = five minutes each

Notice:

• one changes for gender: одному, одной, одному
• two has два with masculine/neuter and две with feminine

Каждый получил по книге is clearer and more specifically distributive.

• Каждый получил книгу = Everyone received a book
• Каждый получил по книге = Everyone received one book each

In many situations, the first sentence may sound similar in English, but in Russian the version with по makes the apiece meaning very explicit.

So if you want to stress individual shares, по is the natural tool.

No. Very often каждый is not used at all.

The distributive meaning is already carried by по.

Examples:

• Студентам дали по книге.
• Детям купили по мороженому.
• Мы выпили по чашке чая.
• На столы поставили по бутылке воды.

All of these already mean that each person or each table gets its own share.

So каждый can be present, but it is not required.

No. It is common anywhere Russian wants to show distribution per person, per item, or per group.

You can use it with many kinds of actions:

• Мы купили по билету. = We bought a ticket each
• Они выпили по чашке кофе. = They drank a cup of coffee each
• У всех по паспорту. = Everyone has a passport
• Школьники читали по две страницы. = The schoolchildren read two pages each

So the idea is broader than receiving. It is really about one share for each participant.

Because своё agrees with что‑то.

Here:

• что‑то is grammatically neuter singular
• so the word свой must also be neuter singular
• that gives своё

So:

• что‑то своё = something of one’s own

This fits the meaning of the explanation: the construction helps say that each person gets their own thing.

Because каждый is grammatically singular in Russian.

Even though it refers to many people in meaning, it behaves like a singular word in grammar.

So you get:

• каждый получает
• каждый знает
• каждый хочет

This is similar to English each is, not each are.

Usually it comes after the verb or near the recipient phrase.

Very common patterns are:

• Студентам дали по книге.
• Детям купили по яблоку.
• Мы взяли по чашке кофе.

Russian word order is flexible, so you can move the по phrase for emphasis, but the most neutral beginner pattern is:

recipient + verb + по-phrase

For example:

• Студентам дали по книге

That is the safest model to copy at first.