药物

• Pinyin: yào wù
• Hanzi breakdown: 药 = 艹 (grass/plant radical) + 约 (phonetic), a plant-based medicine; 物 = 牛 (ox) + 勿, a thing or substance

Meaning

Medicine; medication; drug. A substance used for treating illness or managing health conditions.

A formal term for medicine or pharmaceutical substances. More clinical than 药 alone, and often used in medical, research, or regulatory contexts. Appears in compounds like 违禁药物 (banned substance), 新型药物 (new drug), and 药物治疗 (drug therapy). Taking medication is 服用药物 or 使用药物.

Examples

1. 这种药物需要在医生的指导下服用，不能自行增减剂量。 This medication should be taken under the guidance of a doctor — do not adjust the dosage yourself.
2. 新研发的药物对这种疾病有非常好的治疗效果。 The newly developed drug has a very good therapeutic effect on this disease.
3. 运动员在比赛期间不得使用任何违禁药物。 Athletes are not allowed to use any banned substances during competitions.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, professional

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 服用任何药物之前，请先咨询医生。(Before taking any medication, please consult a doctor first.)
• 这种药物有一定的副作用，需要注意。(This medication has certain side effects that need to be noted.)

Don't Say

• 把'药物'用于食品或普通保健品 (Don't use 药物 for ordinary food or general health supplements — it specifically refers to pharmaceutical or medicinal substances)

Origin & History

A compound of 药 (medicine, from 艹 grass/plant + 约 phonetic) and 物 (thing/substance, from 牛 ox + 勿 not). Together they refer to a medicinal substance.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal