Chinese word

药

Pronunciation

Pinyinyào

Meaning

  • nounmedicine

Example

这瓶药要怎么吃？zhè píng yào yào zěn me chī

How should the medicine in this bottle be taken?

Illustration for 药 (medicine)

More examples

医生说生病的时候要按时吃药。yī shēng shuō shēng bìng de shí hòu yào àn shí chī yào

The doctor said to take medicine on time when you are sick.

Core concept

A substance or preparation that protects the body, eases illness, or helps it recover.

Common phrases

  • 吃药chī yào

    take medicine

  • 去药店qù yào diàn

    go to the pharmacy

  • 感冒药gǎn mào yào

    cold medicine

Similar words

药店yào diàn: A shop where medicine is sold.
中药zhōng yào: Traditional medicine made from plants, minerals, and other natural materials.
西药xī yào: Medicine produced chemically for use in modern medical treatment.
药片yào piàn: A thin, solid form of medicine taken by mouth.

Definition in Chinese

用于预防、治疗或减轻疾病和症状的物品或制剂，既包括草药和丸剂，也包括注射液与化学合成的药品。yòng yú yù fáng zhì liáo huò jiǎn qīng jí bìng hé zhèng zhuàng de wù pǐn huò zhì jì jì bāo kuò cǎo yào hé wán jì yě bāo kuò zhù shè yè yǔ huà xué hé chéng de yào pǐn

Word origin

The simplified form 药 (yào, "medicine") comes from 藥 (yào, "medicine"): 艹 (cǎo, "grass") points to herbs, while 樂 (lè, "joy") mainly supplies the sound.

Usage tips

  • Chinese commonly pairs 药 (yào, "medicine") with 吃 (chī, "eat") for oral medicine, even when it is swallowed rather than chewed, so the verb describes taking it by mouth.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word