Inklingo

kilos

KEE-lohs/ˈkilos/

kilos means kilograms in Spanish (unit of weight/mass).

kilograms, kilos

Also: kilometers
NounmA1
SpainMexico/Central America
A perfectly balanced scale showing a standardized block weight on the left pan and a pile of colorful oranges equal in mass on the right pan.

📝 In Action

Quiero comprar tres kilos de patatas, por favor.

A1

I want to buy three kilos of potatoes, please.

Mi maleta pesa veinte kilos, ¡es demasiado para el avión!

A2

My suitcase weighs twenty kilos, it's too much for the plane!

Necesitas caminar varios kilos para llegar a la playa desde aquí.

B1

You need to walk several kilometers to get to the beach from here. (Informal use for distance)

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • kilogramos (kilograms)
  • peso (weight)

Common Collocations

  • perder kilosto lose weight (lit. kilos)
  • ganar kilosto gain weight (lit. kilos)

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "kilos" in Spanish:

kilogramskilometerskilos

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: kilos

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'kilos' to describe weight?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
kilo(kilogram (singular))Noun
kilogramo(kilogram)Noun
🎵 Rhymes
hilosestilos
📚 Etymology

This word is a shortened form of 'kilogramo.' It combines the Greek root 'khilioi' (meaning 'thousand') and 'gramma' (meaning 'small weight'). It's part of the international metric system adopted in the late 18th century.

First recorded: 18th century (as kilogramo)

Cognates (Related words)

English: kilosFrench: kilos

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'kilos' only mean weight, or can it mean distance?

'Kilos' overwhelmingly refers to weight (kilograms). However, very informally, especially in speech, people might use 'kilo' or 'kilos' as a short way to say 'kilómetro(s)' (kilometer(s)) when talking about distance, but this is less common.