Asking for Half: "Jumătate"
When shopping for fresh produce, meats, or cheese at a local market stall (taraba), you often won't need a whole kilogram or an entire vegetable. To ask for "half," use jumătate.
To say "half of" something, always link jumătate to the item or the unit of measurement using the preposition de.
| I want half a kilogram of telemea from this stall. | Vreau jumătate de kilogram de telemea de la această tarabă. |
| I only want half a cabbage to make a soup. | Vreau doar jumătate de varză ca să fac o supă. |
| Did you eat half a melon alone? | Ai mâncat jumătate de pepene singur? |
Asking for a Quarter: "Un sfert"
If half is still too much, you can ask for a quarter: un sfert.
Just like with jumătate, you must connect un sfert to the noun that follows it using the preposition de. You will frequently hear this paired with standard weights, such as un sfert de kilogram.
| I am buying a quarter of a kilogram of olives to make a salad. | Cumpăr un sfert de kilogram de măsline ca să fac o salată. |
| Give me a quarter of a kilo of sausages, please. | Pune-mi, te rog, un sfert de kilogram de cârnați. |
| How much does a quarter of a pumpkin cost? | Cât costă un sfert de dovleac? |
Weighing Your Groceries
When buying bulk goods in fractions, the seller will put your items on the scale (cântarul) to weigh (a cântări) them. Once you are comfortable with jumătate de and un sfert de, you can mix and match to get exactly the portion you need.
| He must weigh half a kilogram of mushrooms. | El trebuie să cântărească jumătate de kilogram de ciuperci. |
| We are buying half a melon and a quarter of a kilogram of olives. | Cumpărăm jumătate de pepene și un sfert de kilogram de măsline. |
| The customer wants half a salami and a quarter of a kilogram of ginger. | Clientul vrea jumătate de salam și un sfert de kilogram de ghimbir. |