薬 — Medicine, Drug

Meaning

薬 means medicine, drug, or pharmaceutical substance. You'll find it on pill bottles, pharmacy signs, hospital forms, and in everyday health conversations. The meaning also extends to agricultural chemicals like pesticides and industrial substances — anything with a chemical or medicinal function.

The character has two parts. On top sits 艹 (grass radical, くさかんむり), which marks a connection to plants and herbs. Below is 楽 (comfort, enjoyment), which provides the yaku reading and carries a hint of relief — something that eases suffering. East Asian medicine was herb-based for centuries, so the pairing is apt. The character quietly says: healing plants that bring comfort.

薬 takes 16 strokes and is taught in Grade 3 of Japanese elementary school. At JLPT N4, it's expected knowledge for intermediate learners.

Readings

On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings

On'yomi: ヤク (yaku). This reading appears in formal, medical, and scientific compound words (熟語, じゅくご).

薬局やっきょく (yakkyoku) — pharmacy, drugstore
薬品やくひん (yakuhin) — pharmaceutical product, chemical
薬学やくがく (yakugaku) — pharmacology, pharmaceutical science
薬用やくよう (yakuyou) — medicinal use, for medical purposes
薬剤師やくざいし (yakuzaishi) — licensed pharmacist
毒薬どくやく (dokuyaku) — poison, toxic drug

Before certain consonants, ヤク shifts to ヤッ through consonant gemination (促音便, そくおんびん). That's why 薬局やっきょく is yakkyoku, not yakyoku.

Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings

Kun'yomi: くすり (kusuri). This native Japanese word is what you'll hear most in spoken conversation when referring to medicine generally.

薬くすり (kusuri) — medicine, drug (standalone)
目薬めぐすり (megusuri) — eye drops
飲み薬のみぐすり (nomigusuri) — oral medication
薬指くすりゆび (kusuriyubi) — ring finger (historically used to apply ointments)

Common Words & Compounds

薬 turns up across a wide range of practical vocabulary. Key compounds, grouped by theme:

Medical & Pharmacy

薬局やっきょく (yakkyoku) — pharmacy, dispensary
薬剤師やくざいし (yakuzaishi) — pharmacist
薬品やくひん (yakuhin) — pharmaceutical, chemical substance
薬効やっこう (yakkou) — medicinal effect, drug efficacy
薬用やくよう (yakuyou) — medicinal, for medical use

Types of Medicine

漢方薬かんぽうやく (kanpou yaku) — traditional Chinese herbal medicine
目薬めぐすり (megusuri) — eye drops
飲み薬のみぐすり (nomigusuri) — oral medication
毒薬どくやく (dokuyaku) — poison, lethal drug
薬草やくそう (yakusou) — medicinal herb (on'yomi compound: ヤク + ソウ)

Body & Everyday

薬指くすりゆび (kusuriyubi) — ring finger
薬代くすりだい (kusuridai) — cost of medicine
薬学やくがく (yakugaku) — pharmaceutical science
農薬のうやく (nouyaku) — agricultural chemical, pesticide
火薬かやく (kayaku) — gunpowder, explosive

Example Sentences

薬くすりを飲のんでください。

Kusuri wo nonde kudasai.

Please take your medicine.

近ちかくに薬局やっきょくはありますか？

Chikaku ni yakkyoku wa arimasu ka?

Is there a pharmacy nearby?

この薬くすりは一日いちにちに三回さんかい飲のんでください。

Kono kusuri wa ichinichi ni sankai nonde kudasai.

Take this medicine three times a day.

頭痛ずつうに効きく薬くすりはありますか？

Zutsuu ni kiku kusuri wa arimasu ka?

Do you have anything that works for headaches?

目薬めぐすりを毎日まいにち使つかっています。

Megusuri wo mainichi tsukatte imasu.

I use eye drops every day.

その薬くすりは副作用ふくさようがありますか？

Sono kusuri wa fukusayou ga arimasu ka?

Does that medicine have side effects?

薬剤師やくざいしに相談そうだんしてください。

Yakuzaishi ni soudan shite kudasai.

Please consult the pharmacist.

漢方薬かんぽうやくは自然しぜんの草くさから作つくられています。

Kanpou yaku wa shizen no kusa kara tsukurarete imasu.

Herbal medicine is made from natural plants.

食事しょくじの後あとで薬くすりを飲のむ習慣しゅうかんがある。

Shokuji no ato de kusuri wo nomu shuukan ga aru.

I make a habit of taking medicine after meals.

Related Kanji

病 — Sickness, Illness, Disease (Kanji N4)
便 — Convenience, Facility, Communication (Kanji N4)
妹 — Younger Sister (Kanji N4)
広 — Wide, Broad, Spacious (Kanji N4)
物 — Thing, Object, Matter (Kanji N4)
館 — Hall, Public Building, Mansion (Kanji N4)

Memory Tip

Split 薬 into its two pieces: 艹 (grass) on top, 楽 (comfort) below. Picture an old herbalist gathering plants in a meadow to ease a patient's pain. Grass + comfort = medicine. The image sticks.

Vietnamese learners have a shortcut: the Hán-Việt reading is DƯỢC — the same root as dược sĩ (pharmacist) and dược liệu (medicinal material). Japanese and Vietnamese share this word through their common Chinese heritage.