Pourrais-je avoir un peu de lait? Why is it not 'du lait' as in "pourrais-je avoir du lait?"
Chris
Kwiziq community member
21/12/17
Because there is an amount specified for the milk ("un peu") you don't use the article, just "de". If you say "je voudrais du lait' you're just asking for some milk, no amount specified, hence the article which makes "de" to "du".
There is a specific lesson dedicated to the partitive article.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
Stewart
Kwiziq community member
21/12/17
Thank you, I now understand.

Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
22/12/17
Bonjour Stewart !
Indeed, with expression of quantity like "beaucoup de, un peu de...", you will only use "du" if you mean "a lot of the, a bit of the", as such:
Indeed, with expression of quantity like "beaucoup de, un peu de...", you will only use "du" if you mean "a lot of the, a bit of the", as such:
Je bois un peu de lait.
I drink a bit of milk.
Je bois un peu du lait que j'ai trouvé dans le frigo.
I drink a bit of the milk that I found in the fridge.
I drink a bit of milk.
Je bois un peu du lait que j'ai trouvé dans le frigo.
I drink a bit of the milk that I found in the fridge.
Here's our lesson about partitive articles:
https://french.kwiziq.com/revision/grammar/du-de-la-de-l-are-used-to-express-some-or-any-partitive-articles
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
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Stewart
Kwiziq community member
21 December 2017
3 replies
Pourrais-je avoir un peu de lait? Why is it not 'du lait' as in "pourrais-je avoir du lait?"
This question relates to:
French lesson "Quelque(s) vs (un) peu de = A couple/a few vs a bit of/few (indefinite adjectives)"