抗生物質

• Reading: こうせいぶっしつ
• Romaji: kousei busshitsu
• Kanji breakdown: 抗 (kō) — resist, anti-, oppose; 生 (sei/i) — life, living; 物 (butsu/mono) — thing, substance; 質 (shitsu) — substance, quality, nature
• Pronunciation: /koː.seː.bɯ.s.ɕi.tsɯ/

Meaning

Antibiotic; a substance derived from microorganisms or synthesised that kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria.

The standard Japanese term for antibiotics. An important topic in public health due to antibiotic resistance (抗生物質耐性). Patients are regularly reminded to complete their full course of antibiotics even if symptoms improve (飲みきる). A key public health message is that antibiotics are ineffective against viral infections such as colds and influenza.

Examples

1. 細菌性肺炎と診断され、一週間分の抗生物質が処方された。 I was diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia and prescribed a week's course of antibiotics.
2. 抗生物質の飲み残しは耐性菌を生む原因になるため、必ず飲みきるべきだ。 Not finishing a full course of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, so it's important to take the entire prescription.
3. ウイルス感染には抗生物質は効かないと医師から説明を受けた。 The doctor explained that antibiotics are ineffective against viral infections.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, pharmacology, public health, infectious disease

Tone: clinical

Origin & History

Compound of 抗 (kō, resist/anti-) and 生物質 (seibutsu-shitsu, living substance/biological substance). The term reflects the original discovery of antibiotics as substances produced by living organisms that inhibit other organisms.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: General