牛乳なし
gyūnyū nashi
The English phrase "no milk" can be expressed in Japanese as 牛乳なし (gyūnyū nashi).
牛乳なし is used to indicate the absence of milk. The word for milk is 牛乳 (gyūnyū).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of two parts: 牛乳 (gyūnyū), which literally means "cow milk" and なし (nashi), which means "without", "none" or "no".
How does it change in a sentence?
To turn 牛乳なし into a polite request in a restaurant, add でお願いします to the end to say 牛乳なしでお願いします (without milk, please).
How do you pronounce it?
gyūnyū nashi
Did you know?
- When ordering 'no milk' in a Japanese cafe, you might encounter the term ブラック (burakku), derived from 'black coffee'. Ordering ブラックで (burakku de) is the most natural way to request coffee without milk or cream.
- The kanji for milk, 乳 (nyū), is also the character used for 'breast', reflecting the biological origin of the liquid.
- While なし (nashi) means 'none' or 'without', if you are ordering at a shop, saying 牛乳なし might sound like a blunt statement of fact rather than a request. It is culturally much more natural to use the particle 抜き (nuki) to mean 'leaving out' an ingredient.
Examples in context
- 失礼ながら、私は牛乳を飲むことができません。(I'm sorry, but I cannot drink milk.)
- すみませんが、私は乳製品にアレルギーがあるので、牛乳を避けています。(I'm sorry, I have a dairy allergy, so I'm avoiding milk.)
- 私は乳糖不耐症（にゅうとうふたいしょう）で、牛乳が飲めません。(I have lactose intolerance, so I can't drink milk.)
- 牛乳を飲むとお腹が痛くなるので、避けています。(I avoid milk because it gives me stomachaches.)
- 乳製品の代わりに使えるものはありますか？(Are there any alternatives to dairy products?)
- 牛乳以外の飲み物は何がありますか？(What other beverages are there besides milk?)
- コーヒーは牛乳なしでお願いします。kōhī wa gyūnyū nashi de onegaishimasu.Coffee without milk, please.
- 牛乳なしで作ってもらえますか？gyūnyū nashi de tsukutte moraemasu ka?Can you make it with no milk?
- 私は牛乳なしが好みです。watashi wa gyūnyū nashi ga konomi desu.I prefer no milk.
Example conversation
Yota and Misaki are ordering drinks at a cafe.
- 陽太 Yota美咲、何を飲む？Misaki, nani o nomu?Misaki, what are you drinking?
- 美咲 Misaki私はカフェラテにするね。Watashi wa kaferate ni suru ne.I'll have a cafe latte.
- 陽太 Yota僕はコーヒーを牛乳なしで頼むよ。Boku wa kōhī o gyūnyū nashi de tanomu yo.I'll order a coffee with no milk.
- 美咲 Misakiいい考えだね、陽太。Ii kangae da ne, Yōta.That's a good idea, Yota.
