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.

kilos

KEE-lohs

nounmA1

kilograms?unit of weight/mass,kilos?informal English equivalent

Also:kilometers?less common, informal abbreviation for distance

📝 In Action

Quiero comprar tres kilos de patatas, por favor.

I want to buy three kilos of potatoes, please.

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

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

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

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 kilos – to lose weight (lit. kilos)
ganar kilos – to gain weight (lit. kilos)

💡 Grammar Points

Always Masculine

Even though this word ends in '-os,' it comes from 'el kilogramo' (the kilogram), so always use masculine words like 'muchos' or 'los' before it: 'los kilos,' 'muchos kilos.'

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using the wrong article

Mistake: "La kilos."

Correction: Los kilos. Remember that all measurements ending in -gramo are masculine.

⭐ Usage Tips

Informal Shortening

While the full, formal word is 'kilogramos,' almost everyone in daily conversation uses 'kilos' (plural) or 'kilo' (singular). This is the standard way to speak.

✏️ 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

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.