How to Say Amounts in Italian: Kilos, Liters, and Half a Dozen
Learn to ask for specific quantities in Italian using di plus a container or unit, such as un chilo di mele or mezzo litro d'acqua.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you shop or order food in Italy, naming the item is only half the job. You often need to say how much you want: a kilo of apples, a liter of milk, half a dozen eggs. Italian handles this with a simple pattern: a quantity word followed by di plus the item. This lesson gives you the core quantity words and shows you how to combine them naturally at a market, bakery, or bar.
By the end, you can…
- ask for a kilo, half a kilo, or a specific number of items in Italian.
- use di correctly after a quantity word, including before vowels.
- ask for a liter, half a liter, or a small amount of a drink.
- understand and answer a shopkeeper's question about how much I want.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Vorrei un chilo di mele, per favore.
I would like a kilo of apples, please.
vor-REH-ee oon KEE-lo dee MEH-leh, per fa-VOH-reh
Standard polite request at a market or greengrocer. Vorrei is softer than voglio.
Mezzo chilo di pomodori, grazie.
Half a kilo of tomatoes, thanks.
MED-dzo KEE-lo dee po-mo-DOH-ree, GRAT-tsyeh
Mezzo chilo is the usual way to ask for 500 grams. You can also say cinquecento grammi.
Un litro di latte, per favore.
A liter of milk, please.
oon LEE-tro dee LAT-teh, per fa-VOH-reh
Use un litro for liquids such as milk, water, wine, or oil.
Mezzo litro d'acqua naturale.
Half a liter of still water.
MED-dzo LEE-tro DWAH-kwah na-too-RAH-leh
Before a vowel, di becomes d'. Acqua naturale is still water; frizzante is sparkling.
Una dozzina di uova, per favore.
A dozen eggs, please.
OO-nah dot-TSEE-nah dee WOH-vah, per fa-VOH-reh
Una dozzina means twelve. Half a dozen is mezza dozzina.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The basic pattern is quantity + di + item. The quantity word comes first, then di, then the thing you are buying: un chilo di pane (a kilo of bread), mezzo litro di vino (half a liter of wine), una dozzina di uova (a dozen eggs). Before a vowel, di usually becomes d': un etto d'olio (a hundred grams of oil), mezzo litro d'acqua (half a liter of water). The item after di normally keeps its article only when you mean a specific one, but in shopping phrases it is usually omitted: un chilo di mele, not un chilo delle mele.
When to use it
Use these phrases when you want a measured amount rather than just naming a product. At a deli or market, un etto (100 grams) and mezzo chilo are very common: Vorrei un etto di prosciutto. For drinks at a bar, you can ask for un bicchiere di vino (a glass of wine) or una bottiglia d'acqua (a bottle of water). For countable items, use numbers or dozzina: due etti di formaggio, mezza dozzina di panini. If you only name the item, you may get a default amount, so adding the quantity avoids confusion.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Buongiorno, vorrei un chilo di mele e mezzo chilo di pomodori.
Good morning, I would like a kilo of apples and half a kilo of tomatoes.bwon-JOR-no, vor-REH-ee oon KEE-lo dee MEH-leh eh MED-dzo KEE-lo dee po-mo-DOH-reeCerto. Desidera altro?
Of course. Would you like anything else?CHER-toh. deh-zee-DEH-rah AL-trohSì, anche una dozzina di uova e mezzo litro d'acqua.
Yes, also a dozen eggs and half a liter of water.see, AN-keh OO-nah dot-TSEE-nah dee WOH-vah eh MED-dzo LEE-tro DWAH-kwahVa bene. Sono otto euro in tutto.
All right. That is eight euros in total.vah BEH-neh. SOH-no OT-toh EH-oo-roh een TOOT-tohA little context goes a long way
In Italy, small shops and markets often expect you to state the quantity first, then the item. Un etto (100 g) is standard for cheese, cold cuts, and sweets, while mezzo chilo is common for fruit and vegetables. At a bar, un bicchiere di vino means a glass, not a bottle. In some regions, especially in the south, you may hear un poco di instead of un po' di, but both are understood.
One thing to watch for
Saying un chilo di le mele or un litro di il latte, keeping the article after di.
Try this instead: Drop the article after di in these quantity phrases: un chilo di mele, un litro di latte. Keep the article only when you mean a specific item, for example un chilo delle mele che hai visto ieri (a kilo of the apples you saw yesterday).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask for half a kilo of tomatoes?
Show a sample answer
Mezzo chilo di pomodori.
Mezzo chilo means half a kilo, and di links it to pomodori. You could also say cinquecento grammi di pomodori.
2What changes when the item after di starts with a vowel?
Show a sample answer
Di becomes d', as in mezzo litro d'acqua.
This is a common contraction in Italian. Un etto d'olio follows the same pattern.
3Translate: I would like a dozen eggs, please.
Show a sample answer
Vorrei una dozzina di uova, per favore.
Una dozzina means a dozen. Vorrei is the polite form of I would like; voglio is more direct and can sound abrupt.
Remember the order: quantity + di + item. Use un chilo, mezzo chilo, un litro, una dozzina, and un etto, and contract di to d' before a vowel.
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