Translation guide
The process of gradually introducing a baby or young animal to food other than its mother's milk, or the act of helping someone give up a habit or dependency.
The process of transitioning a baby from milk to solid foods.
The standard term for weaning a baby from breast milk or formula to solid foods. Used in parenting and medical contexts.
The process of transitioning a young animal from its mother's milk to solid food.
Same term as for human babies, also used for animals. Context makes the subject clear.
Gradually stopping a habit, addiction, or reliance on something.
Means 'to make someone gradually stop'. Used for habits like thumb-sucking, pacifier use, or screen time.
子供をおしゃぶりから徐々にやめさせるのは大変です。
Weaning a child off a pacifier is tough.
離乳 is the general medical/parenting term for introducing solid foods and reducing milk. 卒乳 is a more emotional, mother-centric term celebrating the end of breastfeeding as a graduation. Use 離乳 in formal or instructional contexts, and 卒乳 in personal stories or supportive communities.
離乳 specifically refers to milk weaning. For weaning off habits like pacifiers or thumb-sucking, use phrases like やめさせる or 卒業させる (e.g., おしゃぶりを卒業する).
離乳は母子ともに大変な時期になり得ます。
Weaning can be a challenging time for both mother and baby.
獣医が子猫の離乳の仕方を教えてくれました。
The vet advised us on how to wean the kittens.
離乳食を始める時期は赤ちゃんによって違います。
The time to start weaning foods differs for each baby.
Literally 'graduation from milk'. A softer, more positive term often used by mothers to refer to the end of breastfeeding, emphasizing a natural milestone rather than a forced process.
1歳で卒乳しました。
We stopped breastfeeding at one year old.
A straightforward phrase meaning 'to stop breastfeeding'. Common in everyday conversation.
そろそろ母乳をやめようと思っています。
I'm thinking about weaning soon.
子犬の離乳は生後4週間ごろから始まります。
Weaning puppies starts around four weeks after birth.
Causative form meaning 'to make (an animal) leave the milk'. Used when the caretaker actively weans the animal.
母猫が子猫を乳離れさせる。
The mother cat weans her kittens.
A formal expression meaning 'to break free from dependence'. Used in contexts like addiction or psychological dependency.
患者を薬物依存から脱却させるプログラム。
A program to wean patients off drug dependence.