Ready to shop like a local? In this lesson you'll learn the key expressions for talking about quantities — how many, how much, a little, a lot, enough, and too much. These quantity words are used constantly in French, not just in shops but in everyday conversation. You'll also discover an important grammar rule: after any quantity expression, the partitive article disappears and is replaced by plain *de*. Let's fill up that shopping basket!
Learning tips
- The golden rule of this lesson: after any quantity word or expression (*un kilo de*, *beaucoup de*, *assez de*, *trop de*, *un peu de*), always use *de* (or *d'* before a vowel) — never *du*, *de la*, or *des*. This applies even when the noun is feminine or plural.
- *Avoir besoin de* (to need) is a fixed verb phrase that works the same way: it is always followed by *de* + noun or infinitive. Treat *avoir besoin* as a single chunk and conjugate only *avoir*: *j'ai besoin*, *tu as besoin*, *il a besoin*, etc.
- The four adverbs *un peu* (a little), *beaucoup* (a lot), *assez* (enough), and *trop* (too much) are among the most useful words in French at any level. Practise each one with a food word: *un peu de beurre*, *beaucoup de tomates*, *assez de riz*, *trop de sucre*.
- Notice the feminine/masculine distinction in containers: *une bouteille* (bottle, fem.), *un kilo* (kilo, masc.), *un morceau* (piece, masc.), *une tranche* (slice, fem.), *une douzaine* (dozen, fem.). The noun that comes after always takes *de*, regardless.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| coûter | to cost |
| payer | to pay |
| l'argent | the money |
| le prix | the price |
| cher | expensive |
| bon marché | cheap / inexpensive |
| l'euro | the euro |
| en espèces | in cash |
| le centime | the centime |
| combien | how much / how many |
Dialog
Camille and Lucas are back at the market and then at a cheese stall, buying specific quantities of various foods. Listen out for the quantity expressions and how they are followed by de — this is the grammar rule in action in a completely natural context.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| un kilo | /œ̃ ki.lo/ | a kilo | Masculine noun; always followed by *de* + food item: *un kilo de pommes* |
| une douzaine | /yn du.zɛn/ | a dozen | Feminine noun; *une douzaine d'œufs* is the standard way to buy eggs at a French market |
| un peu | /œ̃ pø/ | a little / a bit | Always followed by *de*: *un peu de beurre*, *un peu d'eau* |
| beaucoup | /bo.ku/ | a lot / many / much | Very common adverb; *beaucoup de* + noun or *beaucoup* alone as an adverb |
| assez | /a.se/ | enough | Always followed by *de* when before a noun: *assez de lait*; alone as an adverb it means 'enough' |
| trop | /tʁo/ | too much / too many | Always followed by *de*: *trop de sucre*, *trop de choses*; can also stand alone: *c'est trop* |
| un morceau | /œ̃ mɔʁ.so/ | a piece | Masculine noun; *un morceau de fromage* (a piece of cheese) is a very common market phrase |
| une bouteille | /yn bu.tɛj/ | a bottle | Feminine noun; *une bouteille d'eau* (a bottle of water) and *une bouteille de vin* (a bottle of wine) |
| une tranche | /yn tʁɑ̃ʃ/ | a slice | Feminine noun; used for bread, ham, cake: *une tranche de pain*, *une tranche de jambon* |
| avoir besoin de | /a.vwaʁ bə.zwɛ̃ də/ | to need (literally: to have need of) | Fixed expression: *avoir besoin de* + noun/infinitive — conjugate *avoir*, always keep *besoin de* |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| un litre | /œ̃ litʁ/ | ||
| un paquet | /œ̃ pa.kɛ/ | ||
| une boîte | /yn bwat/ | ||
| suffisant | /sy.fi.zɑ̃/ | ||
| seulement | /sœl.mɑ̃/ | ||
| encore | /ɑ̃.kɔʁ/ |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| un kilo de... | a kilo of... |
| j'ai besoin de... | I need... / I have need of... |
| un peu de / beaucoup de | a little of / a lot of |
Grammar: Expressions of quantity (un kilo de, une douzaine de, un peu de, beaucoup de) — 'de' replaces the partitive article after quantity expressions
| Expression de quantité | + de + nom | Exemple |
|---|---|---|
| un kilo | de / d' | un kilo de pommes |
| une douzaine | de / d' | une douzaine d'œufs |
| un morceau | de / d' | un morceau de fromage |
| une bouteille | de / d' | une bouteille d'eau |
| une tranche | de / d' | une tranche de jambon |
| un peu | de / d' | un peu de beurre |
| beaucoup | de / d' | beaucoup de tomates |
| assez | de / d' | assez de riz |
| trop | de / d' | trop de sucre |
Today's grammar point is the rule that links quantity expressions to the noun that follows. In French, whenever you express a specific quantity — whether it is a measured amount (un kilo, une bouteille, une douzaine), a degree (beaucoup, assez, trop, un peu), or a need (avoir besoin de) — the noun after it is introduced with plain de (or d' before a vowel). This replaces any partitive article that would otherwise be required. So while you say je veux du fromage (I want some cheese), you say je veux un morceau de fromage (I want a piece of cheese) — the de takes over from du. This rule is completely consistent across all quantity expressions. Compare: il y a des tomates (there are some tomatoes) but il y a beaucoup de tomates (there are many tomatoes). The same logic applies to avoir besoin de: j'ai besoin de lait (I need milk — no article at all after de). Mastering this pattern gives your French a much more polished feel and avoids one of the most common errors made by English speakers.
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the correct quantity expression from this lesson.
- Je voudrais de pommes pour la tarte. (a kilo)(a measured unit of weight — 1,000 grams)
- Il y a de lait dans le frigo — c'est suffisant. (enough)(the word meaning 'sufficient amount')
- Je n'aime pas de sucre dans mon café. (too much)(the word meaning 'too much')
- Vous voulez de fromage ou une grande portion ? (a small amount)(a small quantity — not much, just a bit)
- J'ai de prendre une douzaine d'œufs ce matin. (needed)(past tense of *avoir besoin de* — 'had need of')
Grammar Application
Replace the partitive article with the quantity expression in brackets. Remember to use *de* / *d'* before the noun.
- du vin → de vin (express with 'un peu')(replace *du vin* with a small amount using *un peu*)
- des œufs → d'œufs (express with 'une douzaine')(replace *des œufs* with a dozen using *une douzaine*)
- de l'eau → d'eau (express with 'une bouteille')(replace *de l'eau* with a bottle using *une bouteille*)
- du fromage → de fromage (express with 'un morceau')(replace *du fromage* with a piece using *un morceau*)
- du jambon → de jambon (express with 'une tranche')(replace *du jambon* with a slice using *une tranche*)
Translate into French
Translate each English sentence into French, using quantity expressions correctly.
- I need a kilo of carrots.
- There is a lot of cheese on the table.
- Do you want a slice of ham?
- I bought a dozen eggs and a piece of butter.
- That's too much! I just want a little sugar.
Build Your Own Sentence
Write three French sentences: one with *j'ai besoin de*, one with *beaucoup de*, and one with *un peu de* or *trop de*.
Takeaway
After every quantity expression — *un kilo de*, *beaucoup de*, *assez de*, *trop de*, *avoir besoin de* — the article always becomes plain *de*, no exceptions.