Chinese word

牛奶

Pronunciation

Pinyinniú nǎi

Meaning

  • nounmilk

Example

我每天早上喝牛奶。wǒ měi tiān zǎo shàng hē niú nǎi

I drink milk every morning.

Illustration for 牛奶 (milk)

More examples

超市里有很多种牛奶。chāo shì lǐ yǒu hěn duō zhǒng niú nǎi

There are many kinds of milk in the supermarket.

Core concept

The liquid from a cow that can fill a glass or become part of other foods.

Common phrases

  • 早餐喝牛奶zǎo cān hē niú nǎi

    have milk for breakfast

  • 牛奶和面包niú nǎi hé miàn bāo

    milk and bread

Similar words

水shuǐ: A clear liquid with almost no taste, used for drinking and cooking.
茶chá: A drink made by steeping tea leaves in hot water, often served warm.

Definition in Chinese

由奶牛分泌的乳汁，通常指供人直接饮用或作为乳制品原料的牛乳。yóu nǎi niú fēn mì de rǔ zhī tōng cháng zhǐ gòng rén zhí jiē yǐn yòng huò zuò wéi rǔ zhì pǐn yuán liào de niú rǔ

Word origin

牛 (niú, "cow") + 奶 (nǎi, "milk") makes the meaning direct: the compound names milk that comes from a cow.

Usage tips

  • Words before the noun on cartons describe the product, so labels such as 鲜牛奶 (xiān niúnǎi, "fresh milk") and 纯牛奶 (chún niúnǎi, "pure milk") are useful patterns.

Word lists with this word