酪 (lào) - cheese & yogurt

酪Tone 4

lào ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

酪 · lào

cheese;

yogurt;

thick fermented milk product;

dairy product made from curdled milk.

cheeseyogurtthick fermented milk product

Usage highlights

cheeseyogurtcream cheesemilk curddry cheesecheese cake

Synonyms

  • 奶酪— cheese (more common modern term)
  • 乳酪— milk curd, cheese

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I like eating cheese (奶酪).
  • Yogurt is a healthy drink (酸奶).
  • This cake has a cream cheese frosting (奶油酪 frosting).
  • Traditional Mongolian milk wine (马奶酪) is fermented.

Collocations

  • cheese(奶酪)
  • yogurt(酸奶)
  • cream cheese(奶油酪)
  • milk curd(乳酪)
  • dry cheese(干酪)
  • cheese cake(酪饼)

Idioms

  • Like cheese in the palm of your hand(掌中之酪)
  • The cheese stands alone(酪然独立)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 酪 originally referred to various fermented dairy products in ancient China, particularly associated with northern nomadic cultures.
  • With Western influence, 酪 now commonly refers to cheese and yogurt in modern Chinese.
  • Dairy products were historically less common in traditional Han Chinese cuisine compared to nomadic diets.

FAQ