Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 奶 | nǎi |
| 乳 | rǔ |
| 乳汁 | rǔzhī |
| 牛乳 | niúrǔ |
The term 奶 is a colloquial way to refer to milk, often specifically in domestic contexts to mean breast milk. When referring to a glass of cow's milk in daily conversation, the most common term is 牛奶, which literally means 'cow milk'. Other related terms include 奶粉 for milk powder and 奶酪 for cheese. To refer specifically to breast milk, the term 奶水 is commonly used.
Which one should you use?
While 奶 refers to milk generally, 牛奶 is the standard way to specify cow's milk. The term 乳 is used for more formal or scientific contexts, such as describing mammary glands or milk teeth.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Northern China, particularly in Beijing and surrounding areas, the diminutive 牛奶儿 is used. In Taiwan, the term 鲜奶 is commonly used to refer to fresh milk.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
nǎi
Did you know?
- In Mandarin, the word 奶 is used not just for the liquid, but is the core component of the word for 'paternal grandmother'.
- The words for milk in various southern Chinese dialects may be remnants of the maternal 'Baiyue' lineages from ancient intermarriages.
Examples in context
- 我在喝牛奶。I'm drinking milk.This sentence uses 奶 to show how to say one is drinking milk.Tatoeba #3140495 by GlossaMatik, translation #3132269 by CK
- 乳牙很鋒利。Milk teeth are sharp.This sentence uses 乳 to demonstrate its use in the technical term for milk teeth.Tatoeba #13549571 by LeviHighway, translation #9082036 by deniko
- 牛奶论品脱卖。Milk is sold by the pint.This sentence uses 奶 to show how to express that milk is sold by the pint.Tatoeba #1582765 by GlossaMatik, translation #1582782 by CM
- 我想喝牛奶。I want to drink milk.
- 医生建议婴儿喝鲜奶。The doctor suggests that babies drink fresh milk.
- 143 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Xiaowen are deciding what to have for breakfast.
- 志强 Zhiqiang你要喝奶吗？Nǐ yào hē nǎi ma?Do you want to drink some milk?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我想喝，谢谢你。Wǒ xiǎng hē, xièxiè nǐ.I would like some, thank you.
- 志强 Zhiqiang我们只有纯奶。Wǒmen zhǐyǒu chún nǎi.We only have plain milk.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen纯奶也可以。Chún nǎi yě kěyǐ.Plain milk is fine too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “milk” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 乳, 奶, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
