奶 is a Chinese character with 5 strokes, radical 女 (woman), HSK 1 on the new exam.
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
奶 is a relatively late character with no oracle bone or bronze attestation in this form. It is a phono-semantic compound combining the semantic component 女 (woman) with the phonetic 乃, which carried a reading close to nǎi. The choice of 乃 may also have been reinforced by its curved shape, which some commentators read as suggestive of a breast, though this is folk etymology rather than secure paleography.
Form evolution
Because 奶 enters the written record late, its form is essentially fixed from its first appearances onward: 女 on the left, 乃 on the right, in the standard left-right phono-semantic layout. There is no significant transformation through seal or clerical stages for this graph. Earlier texts wrote the same word with other characters, including 嬭 in classical sources, which 奶 has since largely replaced in everyday use.
How the meaning evolved
The core meaning has always been breast and by extension the milk produced from it, then the act of nursing. From there it extended to terms of address for older female relatives who would traditionally have nursed or raised children, especially 奶奶 paternal grandmother. Modern Mandarin uses 奶 freely for milk in compounds such as 牛奶 cow milk and 奶茶 milk tea.
Cultural note
The doubled form 奶奶 is the standard term for paternal grandmother across most of the Mandarin-speaking world, while maternal grandmother is 外婆 or 姥姥 depending on region. 奶茶 has become a cultural shorthand for a whole category of Taiwanese and mainland bubble tea drinks now sold globally.
Mnemonic
A woman who nourishes — milk, grandmother
Decomposition
Breaking a character into its components makes it far easier to recall. Each component above links to its own detail page.
Basic info
| Stroke count | 5 strokes |
| Radical | 女 (#38: woman) |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 1 |
| Frequency | #789 most common |
Example sentences
Words containing 奶
Related characters
Similar meaning (food)
On the new HSK 1 exam
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Frequently Asked Questions
Appears in these articles
Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.