The Distributive Correlative "chi ... chi ..."
When describing how a group of people is divided by their actions or habits—like saying "some do this, others do that"—Italian uses the distributive correlative chi ... chi ....
Although chi usually means "who," here it translates to "some ... others ...".
The key rule is that chi is grammatically singular. Even when referring to multiple people, always pair it with the third-person singular form of the verb.
| Among the nomads there is a lot of flexibility: some work on the beach, some in a coffee shop. | Tra i nomadi c'è molta flessibilità: chi lavora in spiaggia, chi in una caffetteria. |
| To maintain efficiency, some favor silence, some listen to music. | Per mantenere l'efficienza, chi privilegia il silenzio, chi ascolta la musica. |
This structure is perfect for contrasting the varied routines of remote workers:
| Because of the time zone, asynchronous work is essential: some sleep, some write. | A causa del fuso orario, il lavoro asincrono è essenziale: chi dorme, chi scrive. |
| Among the nomads, some work, some manage to disconnect. | Tra i nomadi, chi lavora, chi riesce a disconnettersi. |
| After a few years, some decide to settle down, some continue to travel. | Dopo qualche anno, chi decide di stabilizzarsi, chi continua a viaggiare. |
| Self-discipline is needed: some love traveling, some want to settle down. | Serve autodisciplina: chi ama viaggiare, chi vuole stabilizzarsi. |
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