How to Say Amounts in Japanese: Kilos, Liters, and Half a Dozen
Learn to request quantities in Japanese using counters like kiro, rittoru, and ko, so you can ask for a kilo of apples, a liter of milk, or half a dozen eggs at shops and markets.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you shop in Japan, you rarely name an item alone; you usually attach a quantity. Japanese uses counters (josūshi) after numbers, and the counter changes with what you are measuring. This lesson teaches the most useful measurement requests for everyday shopping: weight, volume, and small countable items. You will learn the pattern [item] o [number + counter] kudasai, plus the special word for 'half a dozen'. Focus on the counter, not on plural endings, because Japanese nouns do not change for plural.
By the end, you can…
- ask for a kilo of a food item using kiro.
- ask for a liter of a liquid using rittoru.
- ask for half a dozen small items using han-dāsu.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
りんごを1キロください。
A kilo of apples, please.
Ringo o ichi-kiro kudasai.
Use kiro for weight. The number ichi combines with kiro: ichi-kiro. Works for meat, fish, fruit, and vegetables sold by weight.
牛乳を1リットルください。
A liter of milk, please.
Gyūnyū o ichi-rittoru kudasai.
Use rittoru for liquids such as milk, juice, or water. Note the small tsu in rittoru: hold the t sound briefly.
卵を半ダースください。
Half a dozen eggs, please.
Tamago o han-dāsu kudasai.
Han-dāsu means half a dozen (six). Dāsu is used for eggs and some imported goods; han- is the prefix for 'half'.
トマトを500グラムください。
500 grams of tomatoes, please.
Tomato o go-hyaku-guramu kudasai.
Guramu is gram. For 500, say go-hyaku, not go-hyaku-guramu as separate words; combine smoothly.
水を2リットルください。
Two liters of water, please.
Mizu o ni-rittoru kudasai.
Ni-rittoru means two liters. The counter rittoru does not change form for plural, so ni-rittoru covers both 'two liters' and 'two-liter' contexts.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is: item o number + counter kudasai. The particle o marks the item you want, and kudasai makes the request polite. For example, りんごを1キロください (Ringo o ichi-kiro kudasai) means 'A kilo of apples, please.' You can swap the item and the counter: 牛肉を500グラムください (Gyūniku o go-hyaku-guramu kudasai) '500 grams of beef, please.' The number and counter usually form one unit: ichi-kiro, ni-rittoru, han-dāsu.
When to use it
Use kiro for weight, rittoru for liquid volume, and guramu for smaller weights. For countable small items, Japanese often uses the native counter ko, as in 卵を6個ください (Tamago o rokko kudasai) 'Six eggs, please.' However, han-dāsu is common for eggs and some packaged goods. If you are unsure, ko is a safe general counter for small objects. At a butcher or market, staff may ask 何キロですか (Nan-kiro desu ka) 'How many kilos?' You can answer with just the amount: 1キロです (Ichi-kiro desu).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、りんごを1キロください。
Excuse me, a kilo of apples, please.Sumimasen, ringo o ichi-kiro kudasai.はい、1キロですね。ほかに何か？
Yes, one kilo, right? Anything else?Hai, ichi-kiro desu ne. Hoka ni nanika?牛乳を1リットルと、卵を半ダースください。
A liter of milk and half a dozen eggs, please.Gyūnyū o ichi-rittoru to, tamago o han-dāsu kudasai.わかりました。全部で1200円です。
Understood. That will be 1,200 yen in total.Wakarimashita. Zenbu de sen-nihyaku-en desu.A little context goes a long way
In Japanese shops, requests with kudasai are standard and polite. Adding sumimasen before your request softens it further. Staff may repeat your order to confirm, so listen for the counter. In supermarkets, pre-packaged amounts are common, but at markets and butcher shops you can request exact weights. Avoid adding a plural ending to the item; Japanese nouns stay the same whether one or many.
One thing to watch for
Saying りんごを1キロをください (Ringo o ichi-kiro o kudasai) with two o particles.
Try this instead: Use only one o after the item: りんごを1キロください (Ringo o ichi-kiro kudasai). The amount phrase ichi-kiro does not take another o.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask for 500 grams of tomatoes?
Show a sample answer
トマトを500グラムください。 (Tomato o go-hyaku-guramu kudasai.)
This uses the item + o + number + guramu + kudasai pattern. You could also say トマトを500グラムお願いします (onegaishimasu) for a slightly softer request.
2Which counter would you use for a liter of juice?
Show a sample answer
リットル (rittoru)
Rittoru measures liquid volume. For example, ジュースを1リットルください (Jūsu o ichi-rittoru kudasai). Guramu would be wrong here because it measures weight, not volume.
3How do you say 'half a dozen eggs, please'?
Show a sample answer
卵を半ダースください。 (Tamago o han-dāsu kudasai.)
Han-dāsu means half a dozen. You could also use the general counter ko: 卵を6個ください (Tamago o rokko kudasai). Both are correct, but han-dāsu is common for eggs.
Remember the pattern: item o number + counter kudasai. Use kiro for kilos, rittoru for liters, guramu for grams, and han-dāsu for half a dozen. Keep the counter attached to the number.
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