药店

• Pinyin: yào diàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 药 = 艹 (grass radical) + 约 (phonetic); 店 = 广 (shelter) + 占 (occupy)

Meaning

Pharmacy; drugstore. A shop where medicines and health products are sold.

In China, 药店 refers to retail pharmacies where you can buy both prescription and over-the-counter medicines. Many common medicines that require prescriptions in Western countries can be bought directly at a 药店 in China. Distinct from 医院 (hospital) where you see a doctor.

Examples

1. 附近有一家药店，我们去买点感冒药吧。 There's a pharmacy nearby — let's go buy some cold medicine.
2. 这家药店晚上十点才关门。 This pharmacy doesn't close until ten at night.
3. 药店里的阿姨帮我选了合适的药。 The lady at the pharmacy helped me choose the right medicine.

Usage Guide

Context: health, shopping, everyday

Tone: informational

Do Say

• 我去药店买点药。(I'm going to the pharmacy to buy some medicine.)
• 这条街上有好几家药店。(There are several pharmacies on this street.)

Don't Say

• 我去药店看病。(Don't say you go to a pharmacy to see a doctor — you see a doctor at 医院 or 诊所, and buy medicine at 药店.)

Origin & History

Compound of 药 (medicine) and 店 (shop/store), literally 'medicine shop.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal