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 There are many ways of expressing quantity:
numbers (deux crêpes), the indefinite article
(un tatou, an armadillo), and the
partitive article (du lait, some milk). Quantities may also be expressed using adverbs and adverbial expressions,
such as assez (enough), beaucoup (a lot), or trop (too much).
When used with nouns, expressions of quantity are always followed by de (d' if the noun begins with a vowel sound).
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| Tammy et Tex reçoivent des amis ce soir. Tammy est dans la cuisine. Tex regarde la télévision. |
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Tammy and Tex are having some friends over tonight. Tammy is in the kitchen. Tex is watching television. |
| Tammy: Une douzaine de crêpes, c'est trop pour quatre personnes? |
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Tammy: A dozen crepes, that's too much for four people? |
| Tex: Mais non, Tammy, ce n'est pas assez. Il faut préparer beaucoup de crêpes. |
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Tex: No, Tammy, it's not enough. You can never prepare too many crepes. |
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Here is a list of common adverbial expressions of quantity:
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| assez de, enough |
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plein de, many |
| beaucoup de, a lot |
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un tas de, a lot of |
| un peu de, a little |
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trop de, too many |
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Note that these expressions of quantity do not change in negative sentences:
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| Tex: On ne prépare jamais trop de crêpes. |
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Tex: One never prepares too many crepes! |
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One can express quantity by using specific nouns or adverbs of quantity, as well as measures of weight, distance, or volume, especially in reference to food. For example:
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| une boîte de, a can (box) of |
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un litre de, a liter of |
| un bol de, a bowl of |
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une livre de, a pound of |
| un bout de, a piece (end) of |
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un morceau de, a piece of |
| une bouteille de, a bottle of |
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une part de, a serving of |
| une cuillère de, a teaspoon of |
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une pincée de, a pinch of |
| une douzaine de, a dozen |
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une tasse de, a cup of |
| 50 grammes de, 50 grams of |
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une tranche de, a slice of |
| un kilo de, a kilo of |
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un verre de, a glass of |
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The definite article (le, la, les) may be used with these expressions to indicate a quantity of a specific item.
Remember that de + le and de + les form the contractions
du and des respectively.
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| un morceau du gâteau qu'Edouard a préparé |
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a piece of the cake that Edouard made |
| un verre
du vin rouge, pas
du blanc |
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a glass of
the red wine, not the white one |
| beaucoup des invités parlent français |
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many of the guests speak French |
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Listen to the dialogue:
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| Tammy lit la recette: Pour une douzaine de crêpes, mélanger 400 grammes de farine et deux oeufs. Ajouter ensuite un demi litre de lait, une cuillère de sel et une cuillère d'huile. |
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Tammy reads the recipe: For a dozen crêpes, mix 400 grams of flour and two eggs. Then add half a liter of milk, a spoonful of salt and a spoonful of oil. |
| Tammy: Dis, Tex! Arrête de faire le légume devant la télé! Viens m'aider! |
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Tammy: Hey, Tex! Stop vegging out in front of the TV! Come and help me! |
| Tex: Comment? J'ai fait mon travail, moi! Le bouquet de roses et la bouteille de cidre sont sur la table! |
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Tex: What? I did my job! The bouquet of flowers and the bottle of cider are on the table! |
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