Was ist ein/eine Centiliter (cL)?
Formal Definition
The centiliter (symbol: cL) is a metric unit of volume equal to one-hundredth of a liter, or exactly 10 milliliters (mL). In terms of SI base units, 1 cL = 10 cm³ = 10⁻⁵ m³. The prefix "centi-" denotes a factor of one-hundredth (10⁻²) in the SI prefix system, making the centiliter precisely 0.01 liters.
The centiliter is predominantly used in Europe for beverage labeling and serving sizes, particularly for wine, spirits, and non-alcoholic drinks. It provides a natural level of precision between the milliliter (often too small for practical beverage measurement) and the deciliter (which can be too coarse for precise serving descriptions).
Relationship to Other Volume Units
One centiliter equals exactly 10 milliliters, 10 cubic centimeters, 0.01 liters, and 0.1 deciliters. In US customary units, 1 cL ≈ 0.33814 US fluid ounces ≈ 2.0289 US teaspoons. There are exactly 100 centiliters in 1 liter, 10 centiliters in 1 deciliter, and 100,000 centiliters in 1 cubic meter. A standard wine glass pour of 15 cL (150 mL) is roughly 5 US fluid ounces.
Etymology
Construction of the Term
The word "centiliter" combines the Latin prefix "centi-" (from Latin "centum," meaning one hundred) with the French word "litre." The prefix indicates division by one hundred, so a centiliter is literally "one hundredth of a liter." This follows the same pattern as centimeter (one hundredth of a meter) and centigram (one hundredth of a gram).
The French "litre" derives from the Medieval Latin "litra," an older unit of capacity borrowed from the Greek "litra" (λίτρα), which was originally a unit of weight approximately equal to a pound. The transition from a weight unit to a volume unit occurred during the creation of the metric system in the 1790s, when the liter was defined as the volume of one kilogram of water.
Spelling Variations
The American English spelling is "centiliter," while British English, French, and most other languages use "centilitre." In German it is "Zentiliter," in Spanish "centilitro," and in Italian "centilitro." The abbreviation "cL" (with a lowercase c and uppercase L) is universal. Some older texts use "cl" (both lowercase), but the uppercase L is now standard to avoid confusion with the numeral 1.
Geschichte
Creation with the Metric System
The centiliter was defined as part of the original metric system established by the French National Assembly in 1795. Along with the deciliter and milliliter, it was one of the systematic subdivisions of the liter created by applying the standard Latin-derived prefixes. However, unlike the milliliter (which became important in medicine and chemistry) and the deciliter (which found a niche in Nordic cooking), the centiliter initially had limited practical application.
Rise in European Beverage Industry
The centiliter found its primary role in the European beverage industry during the 20th century. As European countries standardized food and beverage labeling regulations, the centiliter emerged as a convenient unit for describing drink volumes. Wine bottles were labeled in centiliters (75 cL = 750 mL), spirits in centiliters (70 cL = 700 mL), and beer in centiliters (33 cL or 50 cL). This convention became deeply embedded in European commerce and consumer culture.
The European Union's pre-packaging directives, which standardize packaging sizes across member states, reference centiliters for many beverage products. Wine must be sold in standard sizes including 37.5 cL (half bottle), 75 cL (standard bottle), and 150 cL (magnum). These regulations cemented the centiliter's role in European trade.
Limited Adoption Elsewhere
Outside Europe, the centiliter has found relatively limited adoption. In the United States, beverage volumes are expressed in fluid ounces and milliliters. In Asian and Latin American markets, milliliters and liters are standard. The centiliter remains primarily a European unit, though international spirits brands sometimes use centiliter labeling for European export markets.
Aktuelle Verwendung
In Beverage Labeling
The centiliter is the standard unit for beverage labeling across much of Europe. Wine bottles are described as 75 cL, half-bottles as 37.5 cL, and magnums as 150 cL. Spirits are typically sold in 70 cL or 100 cL bottles. Beer cans and bottles are labeled as 25 cL, 33 cL, 50 cL, or 100 cL depending on the country and format. Soft drink cans throughout Europe are labeled as 33 cL (equivalent to the 330 mL standard).
In Restaurants and Bars
European restaurants commonly describe wine servings in centiliters. A standard glass of wine is typically 12.5 cL, 15 cL, or 17.5 cL depending on the establishment. Cocktail recipes in European bar manuals often specify ingredient quantities in centiliters: 4 cL vodka, 2 cL lime juice, 1.5 cL sugar syrup. This centiliter-based approach is particularly common in French, Italian, and Spanish bar culture.
In Perfumery and Cosmetics
The perfume industry, centered in France, traditionally uses centiliters for fragrance volumes, though milliliters are also common. A standard perfume bottle might be 3 cL (30 mL), 5 cL (50 mL), or 10 cL (100 mL). Cosmetic products sold in Europe — lotions, serums, face creams — frequently use centiliter labeling alongside milliliter markings.
In Cooking (France and Belgium)
French and Belgian recipes sometimes use centiliters for liquid ingredients, though this is less standardized than the Scandinavian use of deciliters. A French recipe might call for "25 cL de crème fraîche" (25 cL of crème fraîche) or "10 cL de vin blanc" (10 cL of white wine). This usage is more common in published cookbooks than in home cooking, where milliliters tend to be preferred.
Everyday Use
Shopping for Beverages
European consumers encounter centiliters daily when shopping for beverages. A can of soda is 33 cL, a small water bottle is 50 cL, a standard wine bottle is 75 cL, and a large beer bottle might be 66 cL. Price comparisons often reference the price per centiliter — a supermarket might display "€0.003/cL" alongside the unit price. Understanding centiliters helps consumers compare value across different packaging sizes.
Dining Out
When ordering wine at a European restaurant, the centiliter is the language of portions. A menu might offer wine at "€4 per 12.5 cL" or "carafe 50 cL — €12." Understanding that 75 cL is a full bottle and 12.5 cL is roughly a standard glass helps diners order appropriately and budget their meal. Many European restaurants also describe juice, water, and coffee portions in centiliters.
Perfume Shopping
Fragrance shoppers evaluate perfumes partly by their price per centiliter. A 5 cL (50 mL) bottle at €80 costs €16 per centiliter, while a 10 cL (100 mL) bottle at €120 costs €12 per centiliter — making the larger bottle a better value per unit volume. This centiliter-based comparison is common in European department stores and perfumeries.
Visualizing the Centiliter
One centiliter (10 mL) is approximately two teaspoons, or about the volume of a standard medicine dosing cap. A shot glass typically holds 3 to 5 centiliters. An espresso cup holds about 3 centiliters of coffee. These everyday references make the centiliter an easy unit to visualize once you become familiar with it.
Interesting Facts
A standard European wine bottle holds exactly 75 cL (750 mL), a size that was standardized by the EU and has become the global standard. The origin of 75 cL is disputed — one theory claims it was the average capacity of a glass-blower's single lung-full of air.
The centiliter is so dominant in European beverage labeling that many Europeans instinctively think in centiliters when estimating drink volumes, while Americans think in ounces and Asians typically think in milliliters.
A standard champagne bottle (75 cL) contains approximately 49 million bubbles, according to research by the University of Reims. That works out to roughly 653,000 bubbles per centiliter.
European cocktail recipes typically use centiliter measurements (e.g., a Negroni: 3 cL gin, 3 cL sweet vermouth, 3 cL Campari), while American recipes use ounces (1 oz each) and Asian recipes use milliliters (30 mL each).
The world's smallest commercially sold wine bottle holds 18.7 cL (a 'piccolo' or quarter bottle), commonly served on airlines. The largest standard bottle, the Nebuchadnezzar, holds 1,500 cL (15 liters) — equivalent to 20 standard bottles.
In Switzerland, it is common to order wine at a restaurant by the deciliter (1 dL = 10 cL), but the labels on wine bottles still use centiliters — creating an everyday exercise in metric prefix conversion for Swiss diners.