克

• Pinyin: kè
• Hanzi breakdown: 克 — phonetic borrowing from 'gram'; the character originally meant 'to overcome'

Meaning

Gram. A metric unit of weight equal to one thousandth of a kilogram.

Used as a unit of measurement for weight in daily life, cooking, and commerce. Very common when buying food, measuring medicine dosages, and reading product packaging.

Examples

1. 这个苹果有两百克。 This apple weighs two hundred grams.
2. 请给我三百克牛肉。 Please give me three hundred grams of beef.
3. 每次吃五十克就够了。 Fifty grams each time is enough.

Usage Guide

Context: shopping, cooking, measurement

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 你要多少克？(How many grams do you want?)
• 一包是五百克。(One pack is five hundred grams.)

Don't Say

• 不要用克来称很重的东西 (Don't use 克 for heavy objects — use 公斤 or 斤 for kilograms)

Origin & History

A phonetic borrowing from 'gram.' The character originally meant 'to overcome' but was repurposed as a unit of weight.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal