This French A1 lesson explains French market vocabulary quantities step by step, with examples in French and English. Then practise with the worksheet on French market vocabulary quantities and check yourself with the quiz.
Quick answer: At a French market you name the amount, then de, then the food, with no article: un kilo de tomates, une douzaine d’œufs. Ask the price with Combien ça coûte ? and listen for euros and cents. For “some” without an amount, use du, de la, de l’ or des.
Level: French A1 (CEFR beginner) · Standards: CEFR A1, Spoken interaction
French market vocabulary quantities: the lesson
How do you ask for a quantity at a French market?
Market sellers weigh, count and bag. You name the amount first, then de, then the product. The product takes no article after de.
Rule: quantity + de + noun
un kilo de carottes — a kilo of carrots
une douzaine d’œufs — a dozen eggs (de shortens to d’ before a vowel)
| French | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| un kilo de | a kilogram of | un kilo de poires |
| une livre de | 500 grams of | une livre de cerises |
| une douzaine de | a dozen | une douzaine d’huîtres |
| une botte de | a bunch of | une botte de radis |
| une barquette de | a small tray of | une barquette de fraises |
| un peu de | a little | un peu d’ail |
What does “some” look like with food?
When you do not give an amount, French uses the partitive: du fromage, de la confiture, de l’ail, des champignons. After a quantity word, all of these collapse to plain de.
At Fatou’s stall
— Bonjour, monsieur. Vous désirez ? — Hello, sir. What would you like?
— Je voudrais un kilo de tomates, s’il vous plaît. — I would like a kilo of tomatoes, please.
— Et avec ça ? — Anything else?
— Une douzaine d’œufs. Combien ça coûte ? — A dozen eggs. How much is that?
— Ça fait 6,80 €. — That comes to 6.80 euros.
How do you ask the price and count the money?
Use Combien ça coûte ?, C’est combien ? or Ça fait combien ?. For one item, ask Combien coûte la barquette ?; for several, Combien coûtent les cerises ?. Read 3,20 € as trois euros vingt: the comma is spoken as “euros” and the cents follow.
Watch out
English says “a kilo of tomatoes” and French keeps the same shape, but learners often add an article: un kilo des tomates is wrong. Say un kilo de tomates.
Market habits
Many French towns hold an open-air market on fixed mornings. Sellers often greet you with Vous désirez ? and finish with Et avec ça ?. A shopping basket, un cabas, is a common sight.
Zoé’s tip
Start with Bonjour, order with Je voudrais, and end with C’est tout, merci. Three steps, and every seller smiles.
Key points to remember
- Quantity word + de + noun: no le, la or les after de.
- De becomes d’ before a vowel sound: une douzaine d’œufs.
- Some = du (masculine), de la (feminine), de l’ (vowel), des (plural).
- Prices use a decimal comma: 3,20 € is trois euros vingt.
- Polite request: Je voudrais … , s’il vous plaît.
Ordering Produce at a French Market Stall: frequently asked questions
How do you say “a kilo of apples” in French?
Say un kilo de pommes. The word de links the amount to the food and no article follows it.
When does de become d’?
Before a vowel sound or a mute h. For example une douzaine d’œufs and un peu d’ail.
How do you ask how much something costs?
Use Combien ça coûte ? or C’est combien ?. For a named item, Combien coûte la barquette ? also works.
What is une livre in French?
At a market it means 500 grams, half a kilo. It is not the English pound of 454 grams.
How do you read 3,20 € aloud?
Say trois euros vingt. French writes a decimal comma and speaks the cents right after euros.