Inklingo

How to Say "weight" in Spanish

English → Spanish

kilo

/kee-loh//ˈkilo/

nounA2informal
Use 'kilo' when referring to a person's body mass or the amount of weight someone has gained or lost, often in informal contexts.
A person standing on a simple bathroom scale with a happy expression.

Examples

He engordado un par de kilos en vacaciones.

I've put on a couple of kilos over the holidays.

Necesito perder unos kilos antes del verano.

I need to lose a few kilos before summer.

Plural Usage

When talking about body weight in general, we usually use the plural form 'los kilos' or 'unos kilos'.

peso

PEH-soh/ˈpeso/

nounA1
Use 'peso' to talk about the physical heaviness or the measurement of an object's weight, such as for luggage or goods.
A massive, gray, rounded rock resting heavily on a small wooden table, causing the table legs to visibly bow under the load, illustrating physical heaviness.

Examples

Necesito saber el peso exacto de mi equipaje.

I need to know the exact weight of my luggage.

Ha perdido diez kilos de peso desde enero.

She has lost ten kilograms of weight since January.

Masculine Noun Rule

Remember that 'peso' is a masculine word, so you must use the masculine article 'el' (el peso) or the plural 'los' (los pesos).

Confusing 'peso' and 'pesado'

Mistake: “Using 'peso' as an adjective (e.g., 'La caja es mucho peso').”

Correction: Use the adjective 'pesada' instead: 'La caja es muy pesada' (The box is very heavy). 'Peso' is the noun (the thing being measured).

Confusing Kilo vs. Peso

The most common mistake is using 'kilo' for the physical weight of objects. Remember, 'kilo' specifically refers to body mass, while 'peso' is the general term for physical heaviness or the measurement of weight.

Related Translations

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