Meaning
奶粉 literally means 'milk powder' and refers to dehydrated milk in powder form. In modern usage, it most commonly refers to infant formula or baby milk powder, which has become a particularly important term in Chinese society due to food safety concerns and the popularity of imported brands.
Usage
While 奶粉 can technically refer to any powdered milk, in everyday conversation it almost always means infant formula or baby formula. Parents often discuss which brand of 奶粉 to buy for their children. Due to past food safety scandals in China, many families prefer imported 奶粉, making it a common topic in parenting discussions and a popular item for overseas shopping.
Examples
- 01这个品牌的奶粉很受欢迎。.This brand of milk powder is very popular.
- 02她每天要给宝宝冲三次奶粉。.She has to prepare formula for her baby three times a day.
Characters
Measure words
- 罐一罐奶粉
- 盒一盒奶粉
- 袋一袋奶粉
Common collocations
- 冲奶粉to prepare/mix formula
- 进口奶粉imported milk powder
- 婴儿奶粉infant formula
- 奶粉品牌milk powder brand
Origin
A straightforward compound of 奶 (milk) and 粉 (powder), this term became especially prominent in Chinese discourse following the 2008 melamine milk scandal, which heightened awareness of infant formula safety.