French Phrase
On a besoin du poids du colis.
Meaning
The sentence states that the speaker (or a group) needs to know the weight of a particular package. It is a practical request often heard in shipping, postal services, or e‑commerce contexts.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are at a post office, speaking with a courier, or handling an online order and you must obtain the exact weight of a parcel for pricing or customs purposes.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onabesoindupoidsducolis.
On (impersonal pronoun)
‘On’ is an indefinite pronoun that can mean ‘we’, ‘people’, or ‘one’; it is very common in spoken French.
A besoin de + noun
The verb ‘avoir besoin de’ (to need) is followed by a noun introduced by the preposition ‘de’.
Du = de + le
‘Du’ is the contraction of ‘de le’; it is used before masculine singular nouns.
Poids (masc.)
‘Poids’ is a masculine noun meaning ‘weight’; its article is ‘le’ (le poids).
Colis (masc.)
‘Colis’ means ‘parcel’ or ‘package’; it is also masculine.
🗨In Conversation
On a besoin du poids du colis avant de pouvoir l’expédier.
We need the weight of the package before we can ship it.
D’accord, je le pèse tout de suite.
Alright, I’ll weigh it right away.
✕Common Mistakes
On besoin du poids du colis.
The auxiliary verb ‘avoir’ is required; the correct form is ‘On a besoin…’
On a besoin le poids du colis.
‘Besoin’ must be followed by ‘de’; use ‘du’ (de le) instead of just ‘le’
On a besoin du poids du colises.
‘Colis’ is singular; do not add an extra ‘es’ ending.
↔Alternatives
Nous avons besoin du poids du colis.
We need the weight of the package.
Il faut connaître le poids du colis.
We need to know the weight of the package.
Pouvez‑vous me donner le poids du colis ?
Could you give me the weight of the package?
Cultural Tip
In everyday spoken French, ‘on’ is preferred over ‘nous’ for ‘we’, even in professional settings. However, in formal written communication (e.g., emails to clients) you may want to replace ‘on’ with ‘nous’ to sound more polished. Also, remember that ‘poids’ is masculine, so the correct article is ‘le poids’ or the contracted ‘du poids’ when preceded by ‘de’.