ki-lô
Definition
- Noun:
- Kilogram: A unit of mass in the metric system, equal to 1,000 grams. This is the primary and most common meaning of the word "ki-lô" in modern Vietnamese, used as a shortened form of "ki-lô-gam".
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Mẹ mua hai ki-lô cam ở chợ. (Mom bought two kilograms of oranges at the market.)
- Gói hàng này nặng năm ki-lô. (This package weighs five kilos.)
- Giá thịt lợn là 60,000 đồng một ki-lô. (The price of pork is 60,000 dong per kilo.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "ki-lô" is an informal abbreviation. In formal or technical contexts, the full term "ki-lô-gam" or the symbol "kg" is preferred.
- Cân nặng của vật thể được đo bằng ki-lô-gam. (The mass of an object is measured in kilograms.)
Variants and Related Words
- Ki-lô-gam (n): The full, formal term for kilogram.
- Ki-lô-mét (n): Kilometer. A unit of length equal to 1,000 meters. Important: This is a different, distinct compound word and not a meaning of the standalone word "ki-lô".
- Ki-lô-oát (n): Kilowatt. A unit of power. Important: This is a different, distinct compound word and not a meaning of the standalone word "ki-lô".
Synonyms
- Cân (n): A colloquial term often used interchangeably with "ki-lô" to mean kilogram in everyday speech, especially in Northern Vietnam. (e.g., = One kilo of meat). Note: Historically, "cân" referred to a different traditional unit of mass.
Notes on Different Meanings
- In contemporary Vietnamese, the standalone word "ki-lô" almost exclusively means "kilogram". Its use as an abbreviation for other metric units (like kilometer or kilowatt) is not standard. For those units, the full compound words ("ki-lô-mét", "ki-lô-oát") must be used.