How to say "milk" in Japanese

• ミルクJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounThe usual word for milk as a drink: the liquid you buy in a carton or add to coffee or cereal. This is what you say when ordering or shopping for milk.
  このコップをミルクで満みたした。↗

  I filled this glass with milk.
• 乳ちちJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounThe native word for milk as a substance, especially mother's milk; it can also mean the breast. Not the word for the milk you buy or drink — that is ミルク.
  うちの牛うしは全まったく乳ちちが出でない。↗

  Our cow doesn't give us any milk.
• こするJLPT N2approx.Common
  godan verb, transitive verbSlang for the figurative sense of 'milk': to keep reusing a joke, story or topic to get more mileage out of it. Nothing to do with the drink.
• しぼるJLPT N2approx.Common
  godan verb, transitive verbThe verb 'to milk' in the literal sense: to squeeze milk from an animal such as a cow or goat. The same verb covers squeezing fruit to extract juice.
  はい。ここに私わたしたちが牛うしのミルクをしぼった牧場ぼくじょうの写真しゃしんがありますよ。↗

  Yes, and here's a photo of the farm where we milked the cows.

For milk as a drink use 「ミルク」; 乳 is the native word for milk as a substance, especially mother's milk; 「しぼる」 is the verb for milking an animal, and 「こする」 is slang for figuratively milking a joke or topic.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• ミルクmilk
• 乳ちちmilk
• 乳汁にゅうじゅうmilk (of a mammal)
• 酪漿らくしょうmilk
• 牛乳ぎゅうにゅう(cow's) milk
• こするto repeatedly reuse (a joke, a topic of conversation, etc.)
• しぼるto squeeze (fruit to extract juice)
• ぱいぱいmilk