French word

kilo

Pronunciation

IPA/kilo/

Meaning

  • masculine nounkilo

Example

J'ai acheté un kilo de tomates.

I bought a kilo of tomatoes.

Illustration for kilo (kilo)

More examples

J'ai acheté un kilo de pommes hier.

I bought a kilo of apples yesterday.

Core concept

A kitchen scale balanced at one kilo beside a pile of produce.

Common phrases

  • un kilo de

    a kilo of ___

Similar words

kilogramme: The formal unit of mass equal to one thousand grams.
gramme: A unit of mass equal to one gram, used for small amounts.
litre: A unit of liquid volume, commonly used for milk or water.
pièce: A counting term for one individual item, such as an apple.

Definition in French

Forme réduite et familière de «kilogramme», désignant la masse de 1000 grammes et souvent employée pour indiquer une quantité à l'oral.

Word origin

The noun kilo comes from French kilogramme by shortening its longer form, while kilogramme combines kilo- for "thousand" with gramme for a unit of weight.

Usage tips

  • Quantities followed by a food or object normally use de, as in "un kilo de tomates" and "deux kilos de pommes."

Related words

Word lists with this word