牛乳
gyūnyū[ɡʲɨːɲ̟ɨː]
The English word "milk" can be translated into Japanese in several ways, most commonly as 牛乳 (gyūnyū). Wiktionary also lists 乳 (chichi) and 乳汁 (nyūjū).
Meaning: liquid (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 牛乳 | gyūnyū | [ɡʲɨːɲ̟ɨː] (narrow) |
| 乳 | chichi | [t͡ɕi̥t͡ɕi] (narrow) [t͡ɕi] (narrow) |
| 乳汁 | nyūjū | |
| ミルク | miruku | [mʲiɾɯ̟kɯ̟] (narrow) |
In daily life, when you are buying or ordering liquid cow's milk from a grocery store or a restaurant, 牛乳 is the most common term. The term ミルク is a loanword from English and is often used to refer to milk-based additives like powdered milk or creamer, or milk in a cafe context.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 牛乳 is a compound of 牛 (cow) and 乳 (milk/milk product).
Which one should you use?
牛乳 is the standard term used for cow's milk in daily life. While 乳 can mean milk, it is more commonly used in biological contexts to refer to a breast or a teat.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the action of milking a mammal, you can use the phrase 乳を搾る.
How do you pronounce it?
gyūnyū
Did you know?
- Because 乳 can refer to a breast, using the term 乳 alone instead of 牛乳 in a casual setting can sound unexpectedly anatomical or sexual.
- The loanword ミルク first entered the Japanese language in the 1870s during the early Meiji era.
- Certain types of soy milk are labeled as 豆乳, using the same 乳 character to indicate that the liquid is a 'milk' substitute.
Examples in context
- 牛乳が腐った。The milk has gone bad.This sentence is useful for describing the state of the milk.Tatoeba #182295 by wat, translation #19478 by CK
- 牛乳を飲んだ。I drank milk.This sentence shows the action of drinking milk.Tatoeba #13011264 by small_snow, translation #806340 by luna_moonsilver
- ミルクはいかが？How about some milk?This sentence shows an offer of milk.Tatoeba #195044 by bunbuku, translation #32219 by Eldad
- 251 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two people are in the kitchen in the morning.
- 蓮 Ren牛乳はどこにある？gyuunyuu wa doko ni aru?Where is the milk?
- 陽葵 Himari冷蔵庫の中に牛乳があるよ。reizouko no naka ni gyuunyuu ga aru yo.There is milk in the refrigerator.
- 蓮 Renありがとう、助かった。arigatou, tasukatta.Thanks, that helps.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮、牛乳を飲みすぎないでね。ren, gyuunyuu o nomisuginaide ne.Ren, don't drink too much milk.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “milk” translations and entries 牛乳, 乳, 乳汁, ミルク, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ミルク, 乳, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
