Chinese word

非处方药

Pronunciation

Pinyinfēi chǔ fāng yào

Meaning

  • nounover-the-counter medicine

Example

我想买非处方药，有哪些推荐？wǒ xiǎng mǎi fēi chǔ fāng yào yǒu nǎ xiē tuī jiàn

I want to buy some over-the-counter medicine. What do you recommend?

Illustration for 非处方药 (over-the-counter medicine)

More examples

服用非处方药前，最好先看说明书并咨询药师。fú yòng fēi chǔ fāng yào qián zuì hǎo xiān kàn shuō míng shū bìng zī xún yào shī

Before taking over-the-counter medicine, it is best to read the instructions and consult a pharmacist first.

Core concept

Medicine chosen directly from a shop and used for short-term relief of common symptoms, guided by its label rather than a doctor's prescription.

Common phrases

  • 买非处方药mǎi fēi chǔ fāng yào

    buy over-the-counter medicine

  • 服用非处方药fú yòng fēi chǔ fāng yào

    take over-the-counter medicine

Similar words

处方药chǔ fāng yào: Medicine that requires a prescription and is used under a doctor's or pharmacist's guidance.
OTC药OTC yào: A short form for medicine sold without a prescription, often marked OTC on the package.
保健品bǎo jiàn pǐn: A supplement or nutritional product sold to help maintain or support health.
药品yào pǐn: Medicine or a medicinal preparation used to prevent or treat illness or support health.

Definition in Chinese

可以在药店、超市等处直接购买，按包装或说明书自行服用，用于短期缓解常见病症且不需处方的药品。ké yǐ zài yào diàn chāo shì děng chù zhí jiē gòu mǎi àn bāo zhuāng huò shuō míng shū zì xíng fú yòng yòng yú duǎn qī huán jiě cháng jiàn bìng zhèng qiě bù xū chǔ fāng de yào pǐn

Word origin

非处方药 (fēichǔfāngyào, "over-the-counter medicine") is formed from 非 (fēi, "not") + 处方 (chǔfāng, "prescription") + 药 (yào, "medicine"), highlighting the absence of a prescription requirement.

Usage tips

  • No prescription does not mean no risk, so package dosage limits and possible interactions still matter when this kind of medicine is used.

Opposites

Related words

  • 非处方药品fēi chǔ fāng yào pǐnover-the-counter medicationnoun

Word lists with this word