乳(ちち)

ちち
noun
milk; breast
body-partfood
See also: 父(ちち) (father)
1. breast milk; milk
Milk, especially breast milk produced by a mother for nursing. Also used for animal milk in traditional or literary contexts.
赤(あか)ちゃんに乳(ちち)をやる。
Nurse the baby.
母乳(ぼにゅう)が出(で)なくて、粉(こな)ミルクにした。
Breast milk wasn't coming, so we switched to formula.
子牛(こうし)が母親(ははおや)の乳(ちち)を飲(の)んでいる。
The calf is drinking its mother's milk.
2. breast; bosom
The breast or chest, especially a woman's breast. Often written in hiragana in modern usage.
乳(ちち)が張(は)ってきた。
My breasts have become swollen.
赤(あか)ちゃんが乳(ちち)に吸(す)いついている。
The baby is latched onto the breast.
母(はは)は乳飲(ちの)み子(ご)を抱(かか)えながら働(はたら)いていた。
My mother was working while caring for a nursing infant.

Refers to both breast milk and the breast itself. The two senses are closely connected. In compounds, the readings にゅう (on'yomi) and ち/ちち (kun'yomi) are both common.

Common collocations

  • 乳(ちち)をやる — to nurse, to breastfeed
  • 乳(ちち)を飲(の)む — to drink milk (nursing)
  • 乳(ちち)が張(は)る — breasts become swollen (with milk)
  • 乳飲(ちの)み子(ご) — nursing infant
  • 乳離(ちちばな)れ — weaning

COMMON COMPOUNDS (にゅう reading):

Similar words

  • ミルク — milk (everyday word for drinking milk)
  • 胸(むね) — chest, breast (more general and common in modern speech)
  • おっぱい — breast; milk (informal/childish)

Related Words

Homophone: 父(ちち) (father)
Compare: ミルク (milk)
Compare: 胸(むね) (chest, breast)
general
Added 2026.3.25 19:10 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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