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Measuring without plurals: 'Kilo', 'Liter', and 'Stück'

When talking about quantities in English, we usually pluralize the unit of measurement and add the word of. For example, we ask for "two liters of milk" or "three pieces of cake".

German makes this surprisingly simpler for many common units like Liter, Kilo, and Stück. When a masculine or neuter measurement noun follows a number, it generally stays in its singular form. Even better, you can skip the word for of completely. The substance you are measuring follows directly after the unit.

Word list
BeutelmA1 bag zwei Beutel Reis = two bags of rice GlasnA1 glass drei Glas Wasser = three glasses of water KilonA1 kilogram drei Kilo Kartoffeln = three kilograms of potatoes KilogrammnA1 kilogram zwei Kilogramm Mehl = two kilograms of flour TellermA1 plate zwei Teller Suppe = two plates of soup BechermA2 mug vier Becher Kaffee = four mugs of coffee DollarmA2 dollar zehn Dollar = ten dollars FußmA2 foot sechs Fuß = six feet GradmA2 degree zwanzig Grad = twenty degrees GrammnA2 gram hundert Gramm Käse = one hundred grams of cheese HaferlnA2 mug zwei Haferl Kaffee = two mugs of coffee HäferlnA2 mug zwei Häferl Kaffee = two mugs of coffee KilometermA2 kilometer fünf Kilometer = five kilometers LitermA2 litre zwei Liter Wasser = two liters of water LöffelmA2 spoon zwei Löffel Zucker = two spoons of sugar MetermA2 meter drei Meter = three meters PaarnA2 pair zwei Paar Schuhe = two pairs of shoes ProzentnA2 percent fünf Prozent = five percent StücknA2 piece zwei Stück Brot = two pieces of bread StücknA2 part drei Stück Kuchen = three pieces of cake ZentimetermA2 centimeter zehn Zentimeter = ten centimeters CentmB1 cent fünfzig Cent = fifty cents DutzendnB1 dozen zwei Dutzend Eier = two dozen eggs EimermB1 bucket drei Eimer Wasser = three buckets of water FassnB1 barrel zwei Fass Bier = two barrels of beer KorbmB1 basket zwei Korb Äpfel = two baskets of apples QuadratmetermB1 square metre zwanzig Quadratmeter = twenty square meters TropfenmB1 drop drei Tropfen Öl = three drops of oil ZollmB1 inch drei Zoll = three inches KubikmetermB2 cubic metre zwei Kubikmeter = two cubic meters PfundnB2 pound zwanzig Pfund = twenty pounds TeelöffelmB2 teaspoon drei Teelöffel = three teaspoons YardnB2 yard zehn Yard = ten yards BarrelnC1 barrel hundert Barrel Öl = one hundred barrels of oil SchluckmC1 gulp zwei Schluck Wasser = two sips of water SchöpflöffelmC1 ladle zwei Schöpflöffel Suppe = two ladles of soup
Weights and measures

For standard units of weight, volume, and length, the formula is very straightforward: Number + Unit + Substance. The unit word stays exactly the same as it is in the singular.

This applies to everyday metric weights like Gramm, Kilo, and Kilogramm, as well as liquid measures like Liter.

Ich hätte gern zweihundert Gramm Käse.
(I would like two hundred grams of cheese.)
Wir brauchen zwei Liter Milch und drei Kilo Kartoffeln.
(We need two liters of milk and three kilos of potatoes.)

You will see the exact same pattern with units of length and area, such as Zentimeter, Meter, Kilometer, and Quadratmeter.

Der Tisch ist zwei Meter lang.
(The table is two meters long.)
Containers, portions, and money

This rule is not limited to strict scientific measurements. It also works perfectly for containers and portion sizes. Words like Glas, Fass, Becher, Löffel, Teelöffel, and Stück behave exactly the same way when used to specify an amount.

Können Sie uns bitte zwei Glas Wasser bringen?
(Can you please bring us two glasses of water?)
Er isst drei Stück Kuchen.
(He is eating three pieces of cake.)
Geben Sie zwei Teelöffel Zucker in den Tee.
(Put two teaspoons of sugar into the tea.)

Other quantity and counting words fall into this category too, including Paar and Dutzend. You will also use this singular form when dealing with temperatures (Grad), statistics (Prozent), and currencies like Dollar, Cent, and Pfund (which can mean the currency or a pound in weight).

Das Buch kostet fünfzehn Dollar und fünfzig Cent.
(The book costs fifteen dollars and fifty cents.)
Heute haben wir zwanzig Grad.
(Today it is twenty degrees.)
Watch out: Amounts vs. physical objects

It is important to know the difference between measuring an amount and counting physical objects. If you are ordering a quantity of water, you ask for drei Glas Wasser. However, if you are washing the dishes and counting the physical items themselves, you must use the standard plural form.

Ich habe drei leere Gläser auf dem Tisch gefunden.
(I found three empty glasses on the table.)

Also keep in mind that this rule only applies to masculine and neuter nouns. Feminine units of measurement like Tasse (cup) or Flasche (bottle) behave normally and always take their standard plural endings (zwei Tassen Kaffee, drei Flaschen Wein).

Summary

When measuring with masculine or neuter unit words in German, leave the unit in its singular form after a number and place the substance immediately after it. You do not need to add a plural ending, and you do not need a word for of.