By the end of this lesson you'll be able to say how much or how many of something you want, and shop for food by the kilo, the bottle or the slice.
How much?
These four expressions give a general amount.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| beaucoup de | boh-KOO duh | a lot of, many |
| un peu de | uhn PUH duh | a little (of) |
| assez de | ah-SAY duh | enough (of) |
| trop de | TROH duh | too much, too many |
For trop and assez as adverbs on their own, see the lesson on adverbs. To ask how much or how many, use combien de, from the lesson on question words: Tu veux combien de pommes ? (How many apples do you want?).
J'ai beaucoup de livres.
I have a lot of books.
Il y a un peu de lait.
There's a little milk.
Nous avons assez de temps.
We have enough time.
Tu manges trop de chocolat.
You eat too much chocolate.
Un peu de goes with things you can't count, such as milk or time. It isn't used with things you can count, such as apples.
Containers and measures
These are the words you'll use in shops and at the table.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| un kilo de | uhn kee-LOH duh | a kilo of |
| un litre de | uhn LEE-truh duh | a litre of |
| une bouteille de | ewn boo-TAY duh | a bottle of |
| un paquet de | uhn pah-KEH duh | a packet of |
| une boîte de | ewn BWAHT duh | a box of, a can of |
| un verre de | uhn VEHR duh | a glass of |
| une tasse de | ewn TAHSS duh | a cup of |
| une tranche de | ewn TRAHNSH duh | a slice of |
| un morceau de | uhn mor-SOH duh | a piece of |
Je voudrais un kilo de tomates.
I'd like a kilo of tomatoes.
Une tasse de café, s'il vous plaît.
A cup of coffee, please.
Tu veux une tranche de pain ?
Do you want a slice of bread?
The rule: de, with no article
After a quantity, use de, or d' before a vowel or silent h. There's no le, la or les, and no du or de la.
| Without a quantity | With a quantity |
|---|---|
| du pain (some bread) | un morceau de pain (a piece of bread) |
| de l'eau (some water) | un verre d'eau (a glass of water) |
| des pommes (some apples) | un kilo de pommes (a kilo of apples) |
The noun can be plural: un kilo de pommes. The measure itself takes -s if there's more than one: deux kilos de pommes, trois bouteilles d'eau.
It's the same idea as pas de after a negative verb, which you met in the lesson on du, de la and des. The article drops, and only de is left.
Beaucoup and un peu without de
Beaucoup and un peu can also go straight after a verb, as adverbs, and then there's no de.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| beaucoup | boh-KOO | a lot, very much |
J'aime beaucoup le fromage.
I like cheese very much.
Il dort un peu.
He's sleeping a little.
Très goes before an adjective or an adverb, but beaucoup goes with a verb. See the lesson on adverbs.
En français
Here's a short exchange at a market stall.
- Bonjour. Vous désirez ? (Hello. What would you like?)
- Bonjour. Je voudrais un kilo de pommes et une boîte de tomates. (Hello. I'd like a kilo of apples and a can of tomatoes.)
- Et avec ça ? (Anything else?)
- Un morceau de fromage et une bouteille d'eau, s'il vous plaît. (A piece of cheese and a bottle of water, please.)
- C'est tout ? Vous avez assez de lait ? (Is that all? Do you have enough milk?)
- Oui, merci. (Yes, thank you.)
What's next
Next, the lesson on the pronoun en shows you how to say "I'd like two" without repeating the noun. You can use quantities at the café too, as in the lesson on ordering at a café.