- 牛乳 — cow’s milk
- 母乳 — breast milk
- 乳児 — infant
- 乳製品 — dairy products
- 授乳 — breastfeeding
- 乳首 — nipple
The character 乳 combines elements evoking a child and a hanging/dripping form — symbolizing milk and breastfeeding. It commonly appears in words about infants and dairy.
It’s indexed under the radical 乙 (“fishhook”) and functions as a つくり-type component in some compounds.
赤ちゃんは 母乳で 育てています。
The baby is being raised on breast milk.
乳製品を 控えています。
I am avoiding dairy products.