ミルク

• Reading: みるく
• Romaji: miruku
• Pronunciation: /mi.ɾɯ.kɯ/

Meaning

Milk. Refers to cow's milk or milk-based products, especially in Western-style contexts.

A loanword from English 'milk.' While 牛乳 (gyuunyuu) is the standard Japanese word for cow's milk, ミルク is used in café and restaurant settings for coffee cream, baby formula (粉ミルク), and flavored milk products. Common in compound words like ミルクティー (milk tea) and ミルクチョコレート (milk chocolate).

Examples

1. コーヒーにミルクを入れてください。 Please add milk to my coffee.
2. 赤ちゃんにミルクをあげる時間だ。 It's time to give the baby their milk.
3. ミルクティーを二つ注文した。 I ordered two milk teas.

Usage Guide

Context: cafés, baby care, food and drink

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Borrowed from English 'milk.' Entered Japanese during the Meiji era along with Western dairy culture. Coexists with the native term 牛乳 but is used in different contexts.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal