a half kilo of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a half kilo of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a quantity of something, typically in contexts related to food or weight measurements. Example: "I need to buy a half kilo of tomatoes for the recipe."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

"Every Id, I usually buy fruits, sweets, chocolates, and I make Palestinian biscuits," said Abu Amare, 45. "But this Id, I just bought a half kilo of coffee.

The New York Times

"I've spent three years in hiding because the cops caught me with one and a half kilo of speed.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

"The first three months I worked here we collected six and a half kilos of base".

The New York Times

Amid laughter from fellow ministers at a cabinet meeting, he said that "we need a publicity campaign on radio, TV, in newspapers, in cartoons, everywhere, so that the people understand that rabbits aren't pets but two and a half kilos of meat".

BBC

It's about as likely as Kim Jong-un snorting two and a half kilos of pharmaceutical-grade "innovation" all by himself and slapping together the KN-08 using some Soviet-era scrap, a Chinese logging truck, and some chicken wire.

Vice

When she did work, she would typically receive two and a half kilos of unhusked rice for a full day in the fields and turn over all her earnings to her husband.

Unicef

We threw in a "half-kilo" of local white wine (that's how we order it in Greece) with a few traditional dishes, such as bouyiourdi (tomatoes, feta cheese and spicy peppers baked in a clay pot) and mopped up every bite with homemade bread that hung from our chairs in string bags.

The Guardian - Travel

Trimming the dried flowers to maximize look and taste of the top product pays about $15 an hour for a skilled laborer; it takes ten hours for an experienced trimmer to turn out a half-kilo of buds.

Forbes

"I'll take a half kilo," Youssef says, suitable impressed with the cupcakes.

The New York Times

A good rule of thumb in figuring yield is a half-kilo to three-quarters of a kilo of bud per light.

Forbes

He let them take the half kilo of Jerusalem artichokes that had not been scrubbed and cooked.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "a half kilo of" in recipes, ensure consistency with other units of measurement. Either use metric units throughout the recipe or convert all measurements to imperial units for clarity.

Common error

Avoid mixing metric and imperial units within the same context. For example, don't say "a half kilo of flour and 2 cups of sugar" without providing conversions, as this can confuse readers. Stick to one system or offer both.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a half kilo of" functions primarily as a quantifier, specifying a measurement of weight. It's used to indicate the amount or quantity of a substance or item, as exemplified in Ludwig's examples like "a half kilo of coffee" or "a half kilo of frozen product".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a half kilo of" is a common and grammatically correct way to specify a quantity by weight, as affirmed by Ludwig. It's used across various contexts, from news articles and business reports to recipes and everyday conversations. While "500 grams of" offers a more technical alternative, "a half kilo of" remains a readily understandable and widely accepted expression. The context in which it appears generally dictates whether a more formal or informal tone is more appropriate, but this phrase itself is suitable for neutral communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

five hundred grams of

Expresses the same quantity using the metric unit grams instead of kilos.

zero point five kilograms of

Uses a decimal representation of the quantity in kilograms for a more formal or technical tone.

approximately 500g of

Adds a degree of approximation to the quantity, useful when precision is not critical.

around half a kilogram of

Similar to the above, indicates an approximate quantity.

half a kilogram's worth of

Emphasizes the value or amount that the specified weight represents.

a portion of 500 grams of

Highlights that the quantity is a portion or serving.

500 grams in weight of

Focuses on the weight measurement itself.

a 500-gram portion of

Presents the quantity as a specific portion size, good for recipes or serving suggestions.

something weighing half a kilo

Describes the object by its weight rather than specifying the amount.

a little over a pound of

Converts the metric measurement to the imperial unit pounds, offering a different frame of reference.

FAQs

How can I use "a half kilo of" in a sentence?

You can use "a half kilo of" to specify the quantity of something by weight, such as "I need "a half kilo of flour" for this recipe" or "A half kilo of meat is enough to feed two people".

What is the difference between "a half kilo of" and "500 grams of"?

While both phrases refer to the same quantity, "a half kilo of" is slightly more informal. "500 grams of" might be preferred in more technical or precise contexts, but they are generally interchangeable.

Is it more common to say "a half kilo of" or "a half kilogram of"?

Both "a half kilo of" and "a half kilogram of" are acceptable, but "a half kilo of" is slightly more common in everyday speech due to its brevity. The full form, "a half kilogram of", is often used in more formal writing or technical contexts.

What can I say instead of "a half kilo of" when I'm estimating?

When you're estimating, you can use phrases like "about half a kilo", "approximately 500 grams", or "around half a kilogram" to indicate an approximate quantity.