Meaning of 千克
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- kilogram
How to use 千克
千克 is the standard written and official word for kilogram, used on labels, in science, and in formal contexts. In everyday speech many people say 公斤 (gōngjīn) instead, which means the same thing. Example: 这袋米有五千克。(Zhè dài mǐ yǒu wǔ qiānkè.) This bag of rice weighs five kilograms.
千 (qiān) means one thousand and 克 (kè) means gram, so 千克 is literally a thousand grams. That is exactly what a kilogram is.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 千克 with 斤 (jīn), the common market unit at shops in China, which is only half a kilogram. If a vendor says 两斤 (liǎng jīn), that is one 千克, not two.
千克 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
千 qiān · thousand · 3 strokes
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- 3
克 kè · to be able to · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 千克.
| 千万 | qiānwàn | ten million; countless |
| 克服 | kèfú | (try to) overcome (hardships etc); to conquer |
| 巧克力 | qiǎokèlì | (loanword) chocolate |
| 坦克 | tǎnkè | (loanword) tank (military vehicle); (derog.) (slang) overweight woman |
| 成千上万 | chéngqiān-shàngwàn | (lit.) by the thousands and tens of thousands (idiom); (fig.) untold numbers; innumerable; |
| 扑克 | pūkè | poker (game) (loanword); playing cards |
| 克制 | kèzhì | to restrain; to control |
| 休克 | xiūkè | (medicine) (loanword) shock; to go into shock |
| 克隆 | kèlóng | (biology) (loanword) to clone; a clone; (fig.) to make an identical copy of (a website etc |
| 千方百计 | qiānfāng-bǎijì | lit. thousand ways, a hundred plans (idiom); by every possible means |
| 千钧一发 | qiānjūn-yīfà | (lit.) a thousand pounds hangs by a thread (idiom); (fig.) (at the) critical; perilous (mo |
| 千变万化 | qiānbiàn-wànhuà | countless changes; constant permutation |
Questions about 千克
What does 千克 mean?
千克 (qiānkè) means "kilogram" and is used as a measure word.
How do you write 千克?
千克 is made of 2 characters: 千 (3 strokes), 克 (7 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 千克 an HSK word?
Yes. 千克 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 千克 and 公斤?
They mean the same thing, one kilogram. 千克 sounds more formal and technical, while 公斤 is more common in daily conversation.
Does 克 in 千克 have the same meaning as in 巧克力 or 克服?
No. In 巧克力 (qiǎokèlì) and 扑克 (pūkè), 克 is just used for its sound in a loanword. In 克服 (kèfú) it means to overcome. Only in measurement words like 千克 and 克 does it mean gram.