A comprehensive overview of French volume and capacity vocabulary, including units of measurement, containers, common phrases, and example sentences.
Understanding volume and capacity vocabulary in French is essential for talking about quantities, measurements, and everyday situations involving liquids and solids. This guide covers units of measurement, common containers, useful expressions, and examples to build your confidence.
Units of Measurement
French uses both the metric system and specific terms for measuring volume and capacity. Here are the most common units:
| French Unit | English Unit | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| le litre (L) | liter (L) | J’ai bu un litre d’eau. | I drank a liter of water. |
| le millilitre (mL) | milliliter (mL) | Ajoute 100 millilitres de lait. | Add 100 milliliters of milk. |
| le centilitre (cL) | centiliter (cL) | Ce verre contient 25 centilitres. | This glass holds 25 centiliters. |
| le mètre cube (m³) | cubic meter (m³) | La piscine fait 2 mètres cubes. | The pool is 2 cubic meters. |
| le décalitre (dal) | decaliter (dal) | Il y a un décalitre de jus. | There’s a decaliter of juice. |
Containers and Vessels
Here are common French words for containers that hold liquids or other substances:
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| la bouteille | les bouteilles | bottle | bottles | J’ai acheté une bouteille d’eau. | I bought a bottle of water. |
| le verre | les verres | glass | glasses | Verse-moi un verre, s’il te plaît. | Pour me a glass, please. |
| la carafe | les carafes | carafe | carafes | La carafe est sur la table. | The carafe is on the table. |
| le seau | les seaux | bucket | buckets | Remplis le seau d’eau. | Fill the bucket with water. |
| la tasse | les tasses | cup | cups | Je prends une tasse de thé. | I’m having a cup of tea. |
Common Phrases and Expressions
These French expressions use volume and capacity vocabulary in everyday conversation:
| French Phrase | English Phrase | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| un litre de... | a liter of... | Je veux un litre de jus d’orange. | I want a liter of orange juice. |
| remplir à ras bord | fill to the brim | Remplis le verre à ras bord. | Fill the glass to the brim. |
| mesurer ... en ... | measure ... in ... | On mesure 500 millilitres de soupe. | We measure 500 milliliters of soup. |
| faire le plein de... | fill up with... | J’ai fait le plein d’essence. | I filled up with gas. |
| avoir la capacité de... | have the capacity to... | Ce réservoir a la capacité de 100 litres. | This tank has a capacity of 100 liters. |
'un litre de...' signifie ___ en anglais.
What does 'un litre de...' mean in English?
a liter of...
'Un litre de...' means 'a liter of...', used to specify quantities of liquid.
Sample Sentences
Here are more example sentences to see how volume and capacity vocabulary fits into context:
| French Sentence | English Sentence |
|---|---|
| Combien de litres contient cette bouteille ? | How many liters does this bottle hold? |
| Verse 200 millilitres de crème dans le bol. | Pour 200 milliliters of cream into the bowl. |
| Le verre est à moitié plein. | The glass is half full. |
| Nous avons besoin de 3 litres d’eau pour la recette. | We need 3 liters of water for the recipe. |
| Le seau est vide, remplis-le s’il te plaît. | The bucket is empty, fill it please. |
Mastering this vocabulary will help you talk confidently about quantities, measurements, and everyday tasks involving volume and capacity in French.
Translate to English: 'Combien de litres contient cette bouteille ?'
How many liters does this bottle hold?
The sentence asks about the volume capacity of the bottle in liters.
Flashcards (1 of 20)
- English Unit: liter (L)
- English Example: I drank a liter of water.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
