Translation guide
Lactose is a sugar found in milk. In Japanese, it is usually referred to by its scientific name or described in context.
Referring to lactose as a substance, especially in scientific, nutritional, or medical contexts.
Standard term for lactose, used in food science, nutrition, and medicine.
乳糖不耐症の人は牛乳を飲めません。
People with lactose intolerance cannot drink milk.
Katakana loanword, common in product labels and casual contexts.
このヨーグルトにはラクトースが含まれています。
This yogurt contains lactose.
Describing the condition of being unable to digest lactose.
Medical term for lactose intolerance.
乳糖不耐症の症状にはお腹の張りや下痢があります。
Symptoms of lactose intolerance include bloating and diarrhea.
Descriptive phrase meaning 'cannot digest lactose', used in everyday conversation.
私は乳糖を消化できないので、豆乳を飲みます。
I can't digest lactose, so I drink soy milk.
In casual conversation, Japanese speakers often use the loanword ラクトース (rakutōsu) or simply describe the condition, e.g., 牛乳でお腹が痛くなる (I get a stomachache from milk). The scientific term 乳糖 is more common in written or formal contexts.