German · Food & Drink

"Milk" in German: Milch

die Milch

Say it: milshfeminine · die Milchnoun/mɪlç/

Milk in German is die Milch. It is feminine and usually uncountable: die Milch, mit Milch, ohne Milch. Plant drinks are often Haferdrink rather than Milch.

Coffee order

Einen Cappuccino mit wenig Milch, bitte.
A cappuccino with little milk, please.
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How to pronounce Milch

Say it

milsh

/mɪlç/

milsh. Short i, soft ch after l like English "sh". One syllable.

"Milk" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
die Milchthe milk

Feminine mass noun.

mit / ohne Milchwith / without milk

Coffee orders.

Milchkaffeemilky coffee

Coffee with plenty of milk.

Vollmilch / fettarme Milchwhole / low-fat milk

Carton labels.

How to use Milch in real life

  1. 1Coffee order

    Einen Cappuccino mit wenig Milch, bitte.

    A cappuccino with little milk, please.

    Milch stays feminine but often without article after mit.

  2. 2Breakfast

    Ist noch Milch fürs Müsli da?

    Is there still milk for the muesli?

    Milch without ein when talking about the product.

  3. 3Shopping list

    Kauf bitte Milch und Butter.

    Please buy milk and butter.

    Bare Milch on lists and errands.

Mistakes English speakers make with Milch

Incorrect: ein Milch

Correct: Milch / eine Milch (rare, a carton)

Usually just Milch. Eine Milch can mean a serving or carton in casual speech, but ein Milch is wrong.

Incorrect: der Milch

Correct: die Milch

Milch is feminine.

Good to know

Supermarkets separate Kuhmilch from Haferdrink and Mandeldrink. Asking for Milch im Kaffee is normal; many cafés also stock oat milk without fuss. School and office coffee kitchens often share a carton of Milch.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Making coffee at home

  1. ChatPal

    Willst du Milch im Kaffee?

    Do you want milk in the coffee?

  2. You

    Ja, aber nur ein Schuss Milch.

    Yes, but only a splash of milk.

  3. ChatPal

    Die Milch ist gleich leer. Soll ich neue holen?

    The milk is almost empty. Should I get more?

  4. You

    Bitte. Ohne Milch wird mein Kaffee bitter.

    Please. Without milk my coffee gets bitter.

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"Milk" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Milk" in German

What gender is Milch?

Feminine: die Milch.

How do you say with milk?

Mit Milch.

How do you say oat milk?

Often Haferdrink or Hafermilch on labels.

Is Milch countable?

Usually as a mass noun. Eine Milch can mean one serving in a café.

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