French · Real conversations
How to say “Half a kilo of ..., please.” in French
Buy a measured amount of a loose product.
Un demi-kilo de …, s'il vous plaît.
Half a kilo of …, please.
The local construction may change the ending of the product name after the quantity.
Use it in three situations
Buying fruit
Un demi-kilo de tomates, s'il vous plaît.
Half a kilo of tomatoes, please.
Buying vegetables
Un demi-kilo de pommes, s'il vous plaît.
Half a kilo of apples, please.
Buying a loose product
Un kilo de pommes de terre, s'il vous plaît.
A kilo of potatoes, please.
What to watch for
A half kilo is a weight; it does not necessarily mean half a package.
Read the whole expression before replacing a detail. The natural wording may use a different order or construction from the English sentence.
Your turn
Imagine markets and groceries. Say this in French: Half a kilo of apples, please.
Reveal a sample reply
Un demi-kilo de pommes, s'il vous plaît.
Half a kilo of apples, please.
Build a useful exchange
Buy a quantity and ask about a product.
This expression in other languages
A note on speaking French
Use vous with strangers, staff, and people you address formally; use tu when that relationship is established. Je voudrais and pourriez-vous can make a request considerate. The most appropriate choice depends on the person and the situation.
Keep accents and apostrophes. A familiar spoken expression may differ from its literal English translation. Read the complete line, including the pronoun and the words that connect the request.
