Japanese Conversation · Level 9
90 words
Japanese word
牛乳
Pronunciation
Romajigyūnyū
Meaning
- nounmilk
Example
私は牛乳を飲みます。watashi wa gyū nyū o no mi ma su
I drink milk.
More examples
冷たい牛乳が好きです。tsume ta i gyū nyū ga su ki de su
I like cold milk.
毎朝、牛乳を買います。mai asa gyū nyū o ka i ma su
I buy milk every morning.
Core concept
It brings to mind the liquid obtained from cows and used as a common drink or food ingredient.
Common phrases
牛乳を飲むgyū nyū o no mu
drink milk
牛乳を買うgyū nyū o ka u
buy milk
牛乳が好きgyū nyū ga su ki
like milk
Similar words
ミルクmiruku: A common term for milk used as a beverage or in cooking.
Definition in Japanese
牛の乳を飲み物や食品の材料として用いるもの。ushi no chichi o no mi mono ya shoku hin no zai ryō to shi te mochi i ru mo no
Word origin
The Sino-Japanese compound 牛乳 (gyūnyū) combines 牛 (gyū, "cow") with 乳 (nyū, "milk") to specify milk from a cow.
Usage tips
- In Japan, 牛乳 (gyūnyū) on a product label generally signals plain cow's milk, while milk drinks with added ingredients are labeled differently.