乳 meaning and stroke order
Breast, nipples; milk; to suckle
How to write 乳, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 乳
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) breast
- (bound form) milk
- (bound form) newborn; suckling
How 乳 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hidden.
乚 gives the meaning and 孚 hints at the sound.
Radical: 乚 (secret), shared by 9 characters on this site.
How to remember 乳
The left part 孚 (fú) gives a hint of the sound, and the hook 乚 on the right is the meaning part, labeled 'hidden' in the etymology data. Picture 孚, which contains 子 (child), held close beside a hidden curve, like a baby nursing from its mother.
乳 (rǔ) is a bound form, so it almost always appears inside words rather than alone. It covers breasts and nipples, milk and dairy, and the idea of being newborn or nursing. Example: 我不吃乳制品。(Wǒ bù chī rǔzhìpǐn.) I don't eat dairy products.
Common mistake: Learners often write 乳 when they want plain milk, but everyday milk is 牛奶 (niúnǎi), and 乳 is used in compounds like 母乳 (mǔrǔ) or 乳酪 (rǔlào). In writing, the right part 乚 is one hooked stroke, so don't split it into two strokes.
Common words with 乳
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 乳制品 | rǔzhìpǐn | dairy products | HSK 6 |
| 乳房 | rǔfáng | breast; udder | |
| 乳头 | rǔtóu | nipple | |
| 乳酪 | rǔlào | cheese | |
| 哺乳动物 | bǔrǔdòngwù | mammal | |
| 巨乳 | jùrǔ | large breasts; busty | |
| 母乳 | mǔrǔ | breast milk | |
| 乳臭未干 | rǔxiùwèigān | lit. smell of breast milk not yet dried (idiom); fig. immature and inexperienced; still we | |
| 乳液 | rǔyè | lotion; (chemistry) emulsion | |
| 乳腺癌 | rǔxiàn'ái | breast cancer | |
| 乳糖 | rǔtáng | lactose |
乳 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 乳
How many strokes are in 乳?
乳 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 乳 mean?
乳 (rǔ) means breast, nipples; milk; to suckle. A common word with it is 乳制品 (rǔzhìpǐn), meaning "dairy products".
How do you pronounce 乳?
乳 is pronounced rǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 乳?
The radical of 乳 is 乚, which carries the idea of "secret". Dictionaries list 乳 under this radical.
Is 乳 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 乳 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 乳 and 奶?
Both relate to milk and breasts, but 奶 (nǎi) is the everyday spoken word, as in 牛奶 (niúnǎi) cow's milk. 乳 (rǔ) is more formal or technical, and it shows up in medical, scientific and written vocabulary like 乳房 (rǔfáng) and 哺乳动物 (bǔrǔdòngwù).
Why does 乳臭未干 use 臭 with the reading xiù?
In this idiom 臭 means smell or odor and is read xiù, not chòu. 乳臭未干 (rǔxiùwèigān) literally says the smell of breast milk has not dried yet, and it describes someone young and inexperienced, usually in a dismissive way.