酪

lào

各 + 酉

Frequency#3669

Definitions

lào (bound form) semi-solid food made from milk (junket, cheese etc); (bound form) fruit jelly; sweet paste made with crushed nuts; Taiwan pr. [luò]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 酉 represents the meaning and 各 represents the sound.

Semantic: 酉 Phonetic: 各

About

The character "酪" is structured with the radical "酉", which indicates a connection to fermentation or alcoholic substances, and the component "各", which historically functioned as a phonetic indicator. Etymologically, it originally referred to fermented dairy beverages in early Chinese texts, such as kumis made from mare's milk. Over time, its meaning shifted from these liquid preparations to primarily denote solidified or semi-solid dairy products like cheese and yogurt, reflecting a narrowing of its semantic scope. The character's form has not undergone significant structural alteration, with "酉" consistently representing its conceptual domain and "各" providing phonetic cues.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

奶酪很好吃。

Nǎilào hěn hǎochī.

Cheese is very delicious.

我买了一些奶酪。

Wǒ mǎile yīxiē nǎilào.

I bought some cheese.

这种奶酪味道很浓。

Zhè zhǒng nǎilào wèidào hěn nóng.

This kind of cheese has a strong flavor.

早餐我吃了面包和奶酪。

Zǎocān wǒ chīle miànbāo hé nǎilào.

For breakfast, I ate bread and cheese.

奶酪是牛奶制成的食品。

Nǎilào shì niúnǎi zhìchéng de shípǐn.

Cheese is a food made from milk.

在西方，奶酪常用于烹饪。

Zài xīfāng, nǎilào cháng yòng yú pēngrèn.

In the West, cheese is often used in cooking.

这种手工奶酪的制作工艺很复杂。

Zhè zhǒng shǒugōng nǎilào de zhìzuò gōngyì hěn fùzá.

The production process of this handmade cheese is very complex.

为了保持健康，他选择了低脂奶酪。

Wèile bǎochí jiànkāng, tā xuǎnzéle dīzhī nǎilào.

To maintain health, he chose low-fat cheese.

Related Characters

Component: 各

Component: 酉

酪