How to Say Amounts in French: a kilo of, a litre of, half a dozen
Learn French quantity expressions with de: un kilo de pommes, un litre de lait, une demi-douzaine d'œufs, plus the partitive and pronunciation tips.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you shop or cook in French, you rarely name an item alone; you usually give an amount. French marks amounts with a quantity word followed by de (or d' before a vowel sound), not by the English word 'of' alone. This lesson teaches the core patterns un kilo de, un litre de, une demi-douzaine de, and the partitive forms du, de la, de l', so you can ask for exactly what you need at a market, bakery or supermarket.
By the end, you can…
- ask for a kilo, a litre or half a dozen of something using de or d'
- use the partitive du, de la, de l' for unspecified amounts
- pronounce the liaison in deux kilos d'oranges and une douzaine d'œufs
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Je voudrais un kilo de pommes, s'il vous plaît.
I would like a kilo of apples, please.
zhuh voo-DREH un KEE-lo duh POM, seel voo PLEH
Standard polite request at a market stall or supermarket counter. Use je voudrais rather than je veux.
Un litre de lait, s'il vous plaît.
A litre of milk, please.
un LEE-truh duh LEH, seel voo PLEH
Useful for liquids: un litre de lait, un litre d'eau, un litre de jus. In France, milk is often sold by the litre.
Une demi-douzaine d'œufs, s'il vous plaît.
Half a dozen eggs, please.
ewn duh-mee doo-ZEN DUR, seel voo PLEH
d' replaces de before a vowel sound. The final n of douzaine is pronounced and links to œufs: doo-ZEN DUR.
Je voudrais deux cents grammes de fromage.
I would like two hundred grams of cheese.
zhuh voo-DREH duh san GRAM duh fruh-MAHZH
Metric weights are standard in France: grammes, kilos. Use deux cents grammes, not 'two hundred grams' word for word.
Il me faut du pain et de la confiture.
I need some bread and some jam.
eel muh FOH dew PAN ey duh la kon-fee-TEWR
du and de la are partitives for unspecified amounts. Use du before masculine nouns, de la before feminine nouns.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is quantity + de + noun: un kilo de pommes, un litre de lait, une bouteille d'eau. Before a vowel sound, de becomes d': un kilo d'oranges, une douzaine d'œufs. When you do not state an exact amount, use the partitive: du pain (masculine), de la confiture (feminine), de l'eau (before a vowel sound). After a negative, French usually changes to de: Je n'ai pas de pain.
When to use it
Use un kilo de, un litre de and une demi-douzaine de when you give a precise amount at a shop or market. Use du, de la, de l' when you mean 'some' without a number: Je voudrais du fromage. In Belgium and Switzerland, some quantities differ: une demi-livre can mean 250 grams, and septante is used for 70 in Belgium and Switzerland, while France uses soixante-dix. For liquids, une bouteille de and un verre de are common.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Bonjour, je voudrais un kilo de tomates et une demi-douzaine d'œufs.
Hello, I would like a kilo of tomatoes and half a dozen eggs.bon-ZHOOR, zhuh voo-DREH un KEE-lo duh toh-MAT ey ewn duh-mee doo-ZEN DURTrès bien. Et avec ça ?
Very good. And with that?treh BYEN. ey a-VEK SAAussi un litre de lait et du pain, s'il vous plaît.
Also a litre of milk and some bread, please.oh-SEE un LEE-truh duh LEH ey dew PAN, seel voo PLEHVoilà. Ça fait huit euros cinquante.
Here you are. That comes to eight euros fifty.vwa-LA. sa FEH weet uh-ROH san-KANTA little context goes a long way
In France, markets and supermarkets use the metric system, so grammes and kilos are normal. Saying je voudrais is more polite than je veux. In Belgium and Switzerland, numbers like septante and nonante replace soixante-dix and quatre-vingt-dix, and une demi-livre may mean 250 grams rather than half a pound.
One thing to watch for
Saying un kilo des pommes or un litre du lait.
Try this instead: After a quantity expression, use de or d', not des or du: un kilo de pommes, un litre de lait, une douzaine d'œufs. Use du or de la only when there is no quantity word: Je voudrais du lait.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'a kilo of apples' in French?
Show a sample answer
un kilo de pommes
The quantity un kilo is followed by de, then the noun. Un kilo des pommes is incorrect because des is not used after a quantity expression.
2Which partitive would you use for 'some water'?
Show a sample answer
de l'eau
Eau begins with a vowel sound, so de la contracts to de l'. Du eau and de la eau are incorrect.
3How do you say 'half a dozen eggs'?
Show a sample answer
une demi-douzaine d'œufs
De becomes d' before the vowel sound in œufs. The final n of douzaine is pronounced and links to œufs: doo-ZEN DUR.
Remember the pattern quantity + de + noun, and use du, de la or de l' for 'some'. Before a vowel sound, de becomes d': un kilo d'oranges, une douzaine d'œufs.
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