'sausage' countable vs uncountable

Question

Hi everybody,Could you explain me the difference between uncountable 'sausage' and countable 'sausage(s)'?1. I guess that I'm aware of the uncountable meaning. It is used when we talk about a mass of sausage, isn't it?E.g. I just bought 2000 gram of garlic sausage.What is the appropriate word if I want to measure it? 'stick', 'tube', etc. ? In this case this would be 1 piece of this unit:2. The meaning of the countable case is maybe clear. Does it mean a 'stick' of sausage?Thanks for your answer(s) in advance and sorry if it is unclear a little bit.

GPY · Accepted Answer

Mmmm, I could eat that sausage right now.

I would use the uncountable sense when talking about a portion cut from a large sausage: "Would you like some sausage?". If an amount consisted of individual sausages, I think I would use the countable sense however much there was: "10 kg of sausages".

I can't think of any reason to use a measure word, or any measure word that would be very appropriate.

Hole One a New See · Answer

Thanks for the answer

10 kg of sausages

It leads to confusion in my mind. I don't understand how can you count something that you possibly can't put on different locations (like these five boxes: https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTWOoutlZGFG3SzKQMn9ialWEiHUnm0b-8mL7kxk3OQhV6kxiwL6w )

OALD use the uncountable version in this case (if that is the same case and I'm not wrong):
http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/sausage

200g of garlic sausage

The picture attached by me depict 1 unit. How could you ask 2 units from an other person?

'Please, give me 2 sausages.'
'Please, give me 2 tubes of sausage'

These are just my tries. Maybe these are not possible.

Please explain it more for me. I guess, I'm really slow on the uptake.

Thanks for your answer in advance.

GPY · Answer

Hole One a New SeeIt leads to confusion in my mind. I don't understand how can you count something that you possibly can't put on different locations (like these five boxes: https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTWOoutlZGFG3SzKQMn9ialWEiHUnm0b-8mL7kxk3OQhV6kxiwL6w )

I'm not sure I understand. Each individual sausage can be put in a different location, if you wish.

Hole One a New SeeOALD use the uncountable version in this case (if that is the same case and I'm not wrong):http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/sausage 200g of garlic sausage

I believe that they probably mean 200 g sliced from a big sausage (i.e. not 200 g of individual sausages).

Hole One a New SeeThe picture attached by me depict 1 unit. How could you ask 2 units from an other person?'Please, give me 2 sausages.''Please, give me 2 tubes of sausage'

Referring to "two sausages" is fine and completely normal. Each individual "tube", as you call it, is just "a sausage". You would never normally say "two tubes of sausage" or "two sticks of sausage" or anything similar.

There is probably more tendency to use the uncountable form when referring to large or special sausages that would not normally be served several at a time.

Hole One a New See · Answer

Thanks for the answer

Referring to "two sausages" is fine and completely normal.

That is the sentence I waited for

From now I can use it with more confident. I didn't know that one can count sausage in this easy way.

10 kg of sausages
200g of garlic sausage

This is the problematic part. You explained it but I still don't understand. Maybe I have difficulties with this 'individual sausages' thing or I don't know. Now I really feel myself silly but please try to explain me it in other way.

Thanks for your answer in advance.

GPY · Answer

10 kg of sausages means a large number of individual sausages, each sausage similar to the one in your picture. There would be perhaps 200 sausages, obviously depending on the size of each one.

200 g of garlic sausage means 200 g of the foodstuff, not considered to consist of individual sausages. This may be because the 200 g is a portion sliced from a large sausage.

Hole One a New See · Answer

Thanks for the answer

That was the necessary explanation. I managed to understand it now

'sausage' countable vs uncountable

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