药片

• Pinyin: yào piàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 药 = 艹 (grass radical) + 约 (phonetic); 片 = pictograph of a thin slice

Meaning

Tablet; pill. A solid form of medicine pressed into a small flat shape.

Specifically refers to the tablet or pill form of medicine. Used in everyday contexts when talking about taking medicine. Different from 胶囊 (capsule) or 药水 (liquid medicine).

Examples

1. 医生让我每天吃两片药片。 The doctor told me to take two tablets every day.
2. 这个药片太大了，我吞不下去。 This tablet is too big — I can't swallow it.
3. 妈妈把药片放在桌子上，让我别忘了吃。 Mom put the pills on the table and told me not to forget to take them.

Usage Guide

Context: health, everyday

Tone: informational

Do Say

• 你吃药片了吗？(Have you taken your pills?)
• 这种药片饭后吃。(Take this tablet after meals.)

Don't Say

• 我喝了两个药片。(Don't use 喝 (drink) or 个 with tablets — say 吃药片, and use the measure word 片.)

Origin & History

Compound of 药 (medicine) and 片 (flat piece/slice), literally 'medicine piece.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal