Meaning of 药
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- medicine
- drug
- substance used for a specific purpose (e.g. poisoning, explosion, fermenting)
- to poison
Measure word: 種|种,服,味
- leaf of the iris
- variant of 藥|药[yao4]
How to use 药
药 is the everyday word for medicine, and the verb you use with it is 吃 (chī, to eat), not 喝 (to drink), even for many liquids. Example: 你吃药了吗？(Nǐ chī yào le ma?) Have you taken your medicine? It also appears in words for other substances, like 炸药 (zhàyào, explosive).
药 has the grass radical 艹 on top and 约 (yuē) below. Picture plants (艹) measured out in careful portions, which is what medicine was: herbs given in the right amount.
Common mistake: Learners often say 拿药 or 喝药 when they mean taking medicine. The normal phrase is 吃药 (chī yào), while 喝药 can sound like drinking poison. Also do not confuse 药 (yào) with 要 (yào, to want), which sounds the same but looks completely different.
药 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
药 yào · medicine · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 药.
| 药片 | yàopiàn | a (medicine) pill or tablet |
| 药店 | yàodiàn | pharmacy; drugstore |
| 药水 | yàoshuǐ | medicine in liquid form; bottled medicine |
| 药物 | yàowù | medicaments; pharmaceuticals |
| 中药 | zhōngyào | traditional Chinese medicine |
| 炸药 | zhàyào | explosive; blasting agent; dynamite |
| 药品 | yàopǐn | medicaments; medicine |
| 医药 | yīyào | medical care and medicines; medicine (drug) |
| 安眠药 | ānmiányào | sleeping pill |
| 火药 | huǒyào | gunpowder |
| 药方 | yàofāng | prescription |
| 药材 | yàocái | medicinal ingredient |
Questions about 药
What does 药 mean?
药 (yào) means "medicine; drug" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 药?
药 is made of 1 character: 药 (9 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 药 an HSK word?
Yes. 药 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 药 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 药 is written 藥.
How do I say I need to go to the pharmacy?
Say 我要去药店 (Wǒ yào qù yàodiàn). 药店 is the common word for a pharmacy or drugstore. You may also see 药房 (yàofáng), which means the same thing.
What is the difference between 药 and 药物?
药 is the everyday word you use in conversation. 药物 (yàowù) is more formal and is used in medical or written contexts, like news reports or instructions.