Convert deciliters to milliliters
1 dl = 100 ml · Formula and table below. Converting the other way? Milliliters to Deciliters →
Share the result.
Other units
- Liter (l) 0.1
- Milliliter (ml) 100
- Deciliter (dl) 1
- Kiloliter (kl) 0.0001
- Cubic meter (m³) 0.0001
- Cubic centimeter (cm³) 100
- Gallon (US) (gal) 0.026417205
- Gallon (UK) (gal) 0.021996925
- Quart (US) (qt) 0.105668821
- Pint (US) (pt) 0.211337642
- Fluid ounce (US) (fl oz) 3.381402
- Cup (US) (cup) 0.422675284
- Tablespoon (US) (tbsp) 6.762805
- Teaspoon (US) (tsp) 20.288414
- Cup (metric) (cup) 0.4
Reviewed on by the Skala Convert team
One decilitre is 100 millilitres.
How many milliliters in a deciliter?
mL = dL × 100
The interesting question is not the arithmetic — it is why anyone still uses decilitres.
Why do Nordic and Swiss recipes use deciliters?
In Nordic and Swiss kitchens, the decilitre is the standard cooking measure. Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and Swiss-German recipes are written in dL rather than mL or cups: 2 dL of flour, 5 dL of milk. Measuring jugs sold in those countries are marked primarily in decilitres.
The logic is practical. A decilitre is roughly a small cup — 100 mL — so recipe quantities come out as small whole numbers instead of the 250s and 500s that millilitres produce.
How many deciliters are in a cup?
A US cup is 236.6 mL, a metric cup is 250 mL, and a decilitre is 100 mL. A recipe calling for 2.5 dL is 250 mL, which is a metric cup exactly and a US cup plus about 6%.
For dry ingredients, remember that volume is not weight. Two decilitres of flour weighs roughly 120 g and two decilitres of sugar roughly 170 g.
Who defines the deciliter?
It is the litre with the SI prefix deci, a tenth, as defined in the SI Brochure published by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM). The litre itself has been exactly one cubic decimetre since 1964, and in 1979 the General Conference on Weights and Measures accepted the capital L as its symbol, which is why the unit is often written dL.
Formula
Milliliters = Deciliters × 100
10 dl = 1000 ml
Conversion table
| dl | ml |
|---|---|
| 1 | 100 |
| 2 | 200 |
| 5 | 500 |
| 10 | 1000 |
| 20 | 2000 |
| 25 | 2500 |
| 50 | 5000 |
| 100 | 10,000 |
Charts for this conversion
Frequently asked questions
Why do Scandinavian recipes use deciliters?
It is the standard kitchen measure across the Nordic countries and Switzerland, giving small whole numbers where millilitres would give large ones.
Is a deciliter the same as a cup?
No. A decilitre is 100 mL; a US cup is 236.6 mL and a metric cup is 250 mL.
How many deciliters in a liter?
Ten.