How to Say "Cow Milk" in French

lait de vache

The English phrase cow milk is translated into French as lait de vache.

In common culinary contexts, simply saying le lait often implies cow milk unless specified otherwise.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of lait (milk) and de vache (of cow).

While lait de vache specifically refers to milk from a cow, you may also see lait provenant de vaches, which translates to milk coming from cows.

The noun lait is masculine, so if you use an adjective to describe the milk, it must be in the masculine form.

The French word vache is used in the expression être vache, meaning to be mean or unfair to someone.
In French, the word lait is used in the phrase lait de lune to describe 'moonmilk', a rare white creamy substance found in certain caves.
The French word lait is a distant relative of the English word 'lactate' and 'lactation'. Both trace their roots back to the Latin word lac.

Je préfère le fromage de chèvre au fromage de lait de vache.
I prefer goat cheese to cheese from cow milk.
This sentence is useful for expressing a preference between goat cheese and cheese from lait de vache.
Tatoeba #8485861 by Aiji, translation #2638713 by AlanF_US
Je préfère les fromages de chèvre aux fromages de lait de vache.
I prefer goat cheeses to cheeses from cow milk.
This sentence is useful for expressing a preference between different types of goat cheeses and cheeses from lait de vache.
Tatoeba #8485877 by Aiji, translation #2638714 by AlanF_US
Il y a beaucoup de substituts au lait de vache, comme le lait de chèvre, d'amande, de noix de coco, de soja, de chanvre ou de riz.
There are many alternatives to cow milk, such as goat milk, almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, hemp milk and rice milk.
This sentence is useful for listing various substitutes for lait de vache.
Tatoeba #2927998 by Elliv, translation #2794037 by Hybrid
Je préfère le lait bovin pour mon café.
I prefer cow milk for my coffee.
Pour faire cette recette, il faut du lait provenant de vaches.
To make this recipe, you need milk coming from cows.

Lucas and Léa are shopping for groceries at a supermarket.

Sources

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏