Skip to content

kilo

kilogram, kilo

noun KEE-lo Less Common

Origin: Greek khilioi (thousand)

Usage Note

Kilo is the standard spoken abbreviation of kilogramme; both are correct in writing. In everyday French, people say un kilo de pommes rather than un kilogramme. The prefix kilo- is also used in kilomètre and kilowatt. Note that in French, a comma (not a period) is the decimal separator: 1,5 kilo.

Examples

"J'ai acheté deux kilos de pommes."

Natural Translation

I bought two kilograms of apples.

Explore French by topic