J'ai acheté un kilo de petits pois.

From Lesson 253:Fruit and vegetables·French

Breakdown of J'ai acheté un kilo de petits pois.

acheter
to buy
le kilo
the kilo
le petit pois
the pea

Questions & Answers about J'ai acheté un kilo de petits pois.

Why is it un kilo de and not un kilo des since the peas are plural?
After expressions of quantity like un kilo (a kilo), beaucoup (a lot), or un peu (a little), you always use the preposition de without an article. Even though petits pois is plural, the de is locked in by the quantity phrase.
Why is the word for peas petits pois instead of just pois?
In French, petits pois (literally "little peas") is the specific everyday term for green peas. The word pois on its own is a broader botanical category that includes other varieties like pois chiches (chickpeas) or pois cassés (split peas).
If I just wanted to say "I bought some peas" without a quantity, would it be des petits pois or de petits pois?
While the strict grammar rule says des becomes de before a plural adjective (de petits pois), the phrase petits pois is so common that it is treated as a single compound noun. Because of this, it is perfectly natural and correct to say J'ai acheté des petits pois.
Is the s at the end of petits pronounced?
No, the s is silent. You only pronounce the final consonant of an adjective if it links to a vowel in the next word (a liaison). Since pois starts with a consonant, petits pois is pronounced without the s sound.

Learn J'ai acheté un kilo de petits pois and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free