药 meaning and stroke order
Medicine; drug; substance used for a specific purpose (e.g. poisoning, explosion, fermenting)
How to write 药, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 4
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- 9
Meaning of 药
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- medicine
- drug
- substance used for a specific purpose (e.g. poisoning, explosion, fermenting)
- to poison
- leaf of the iris
- variant of 藥|药[yao4]
How 药 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Plant.
艹 gives the meaning and 约 hints at the sound.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 药
药 is grass 艹 on top of 约 (yuē), which gives the sound. Picture plants and herbs, the first medicines, sitting over 约 to hint at the yào sound.
药 (yào) means medicine or drug, and it also covers substances made for a purpose, like 炸药 (zhàyào) explosive. The verb for taking medicine is 吃 (chī), not 喝. Example: 你吃药了吗？(Nǐ chī yào le ma?) Have you taken your medicine?
Common mistake: Learners often write the bottom as 约 without the silk radical 纟 or confuse 药 with 约 (yuē, to arrange) itself. Remember that 药 always has 艹 on top. Also keep the fourth tone yào, which is different from the second-tone yáo in 摇 (to shake).
Common words with 药
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 药片 | yàopiàn | a (medicine) pill or tablet | HSK 2 |
| 药店 | yàodiàn | pharmacy; drugstore | HSK 2 |
| 药水 | yàoshuǐ | medicine in liquid form; bottled medicine | HSK 2 |
| 药物 | yàowù | medicaments; pharmaceuticals | HSK 4 |
| 中药 | zhōngyào | traditional Chinese medicine | HSK 5 |
| 炸药 | zhàyào | explosive; blasting agent; dynamite | HSK 6 |
| 药品 | yàopǐn | medicaments; medicine | HSK 6 |
| 医药 | yīyào | medical care and medicines; medicine (drug) | HSK 6 |
| 安眠药 | ānmiányào | sleeping pill | HSK 7-9 |
| 火药 | huǒyào | gunpowder | HSK 7-9 |
| 药方 | yàofāng | prescription | HSK 7-9 |
| 药材 | yàocái | medicinal ingredient | HSK 7-9 |
| 吃药 | chīyào | to take medicine | |
| 弹药 | dànyào | ammunition |
药 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 药
How many strokes are in 药?
药 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 药 mean?
药 (yào) means medicine; drug; substance used for a specific purpose (e.g. poisoning, explosion, fermenting). A common word with it is 药片 (yàopiàn), meaning "a (medicine) pill or tablet".
How do you pronounce 药?
药 is pronounced yào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 药?
The radical of 药 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 药 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 药?
The traditional form of 药 is 葯 and 藥. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 药 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 药 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 药 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Why do Chinese people say 吃药 even for liquid medicine?
吃药 (chī yào) is the general fixed phrase for taking medicine, whatever form it comes in. You may hear 喝药水 (hē yàoshuǐ) for liquid medicine, but 吃药 is always acceptable.
Does 药 mean illegal drugs too?
In everyday speech 药 usually means medicine. Illegal drugs are normally called 毒品 (dúpǐn), so saying 药 for them can sound unclear.