服用

• Reading: ふくよう
• Romaji: fukuyou
• Kanji breakdown: 服 (fuku) — take, swallow, wear; 用 (you) — use, employ
• Pronunciation: /ɸɯ.kɯ.joː/

Meaning

Taking medicine; dosing. The act of consuming prescribed medication.

A noun and suru-verb used specifically for taking medicine orally. More formal than 薬を飲む (to take/drink medicine) — 服用 is the standard term on prescription labels, medication guides, and in medical consultations. Common collocations include 服用する (to take medicine), 服用量 (dosage), and 服用方法 (how to take the medicine).

Examples

1. この薬は食後に服用してください。 Please take this medicine after meals.
2. 妊娠中の服用は医師に相談してください。 Please consult a doctor before taking this medicine during pregnancy.
3. 毎日決まった時間に薬を服用している。 I take my medicine at the same time every day.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, pharmacies, prescriptions

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 服 (fuku, take/swallow) + 用 (you, use). The character 服 has an older meaning of 'to ingest' beyond its modern meaning of 'clothes.'

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal