Kilos or kilos?
Kilo is often used as the abbreviation for kilogram and is usually written without an "s" at the end. Nevertheless, the term "kilos" has crept in over time. But what is the correct name - kilos or kilos?
"Kilo" is derived from the Greek word chílioi and simply means "a thousand". It is used in German for a thousand times a unit of measurement, for example kilometer (= 1000 meters), kilowatt or kilogram. When it comes to the unit of weight, people like to abbreviate it and simply say "kilos".
Kilos in the singular and plural
In principle it would be very easy, but at some point it got complicated by the colloquial language. When do you write or say "kilos" and when are they "kilos"?
- In the singular (singular) as well as in the plural (plural) it is always correct to say "Kilo". Because it is with a weight or Unit does not matter whether it is one or more kilograms.
- You can remember this more easily if you use the actual word "kilogram" instead of the abbreviation. Then you should immediately notice that it is impossible to write it - even in the plural - with an "s" at the end.
- Only in the genitive do you add the "s" in the singular at the end, because it is correctly called "des Kilos". In the dative, leave it out again, because here it means "the kilo".
- All units - including height and weight units, such as the kilogram - are written exactly the same in both the singular and the plural. The only exception to this is "ton", the majority of which becomes "tons". That's because it's a feminine term.
Do you write "stop" or "stop"?
The spelling of many words has changed somewhat since the spelling reform. …
Write kilos only in exceptional cases
- "Kilo" is the spelling desired by the Duden and a correct way of expression, but in some areas you also have the option of using the incorrect slang. As an example, there is this famous sentence: "She has chucked herself off several pounds." Know what is meant by that probably everyone - it's the paraphrase for someone having quite a bit of weight or body fat has increased. People used to say “pounds”, although this is also incorrect.
- You can occasionally use this notation in the context of weight gain mentioned above, if this expression fits into your text and you absolutely want to incorporate it. It could be a tabloid article or one story, anyway it is the wrong spelling.
- With a school essay, however, you should be extremely careful, here you should stick to the correct spelling. It would be completely wrong if you wrote, "three kilos of apples".
- Even as a book author, it is not necessarily advisable to add the "s" to the kilo, because the readers might think of it as a bad thing German chalk on. So you always have to weigh when this expression is okay and when it is not. On the other hand, you can speak in the way you are used to and feel comfortable - nobody will use the red pencil here.
- Unfortunately, it is not known who introduced this notation and for what reason. Perhaps an author wanted to make his article a little funnier, or it is actually because colloquial expressions are being used more and more in the press. In addition, the spelling rules and plural formation in German are somewhat complicated and varied. Another example would be the plural of "comma", which is correctly called "commas" but is often referred to as "commas".
