Measures and portions: un tros de, una llesca de, mig quilo de
Food is not sold by the piece — it is measured in pieces, slices and weight. A piece — un tros de: un tros de pa, un tros de pastís. A flat slice — una llesca de: una llesca de pa amb tomàquet — the classic of the Catalan table. For example: “Talla una llesca de pa i posa-hi tomàquet” — Cut a slice of bread and put tomato on it. A rule from the Catalan course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Food is not sold by the piece — it is measured in pieces, slices and weight. A piece — un tros de: un tros de pa, un tros de pastís. A flat slice — una llesca de: una llesca de pa amb tomàquet — the classic of the Catalan table.
Weight is taken in kilos and halves: un quilo de maduixes, mig quilo de préssecs. The measure of volume — un got de and una tassa de: un got d'aigua, una tassa de te. Note: after the measure the word often stays singular, and the preposition "de" contracts to "d'" before a vowel.
And how to say "do you want more?" without repeating the word? With the particle en: it stands for the food with the preposition "de". — Vols més sopa? — Sí, en vull — yes, I want some. With a number it works the same: En vull mig quilo — I will take half a kilo (of it).
Table
| measure | example | in English |
|---|---|---|
| un tros de | un tros de pastís | a piece of cake |
| una llesca de | una llesca de pa | a slice of bread |
| mig quilo de | mig quilo de maduixes | half a kilo of strawberries |
| un got de | un got d'aigua | a glass of water |
| en (particle) | en vull, en vols? | some, of it (for the food) |
By example
- Talla una llesca de pa i posa-hi tomàquetCut a slice of bread and put tomato on it
- Compra mig quilo de maduixes per al pastísBuy half a kilo of strawberries for the cake
- Vols més sopa? Sí, en vullDo you want more soup? Yes, I do
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Measures and portions: how does it work in Catalan?
Food is not sold by the piece — it is measured in pieces, slices and weight. A piece — un tros de: un tros de pa, un tros de pastís. A flat slice — una llesca de: una llesca de pa amb tomàquet — the classic of the Catalan table.
What does it look like in an example sentence Catalan?
“Talla una llesca de pa i posa-hi tomàquet” — Cut a slice of bread and put tomato on it. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.