薬

• Reading: くすり
• Romaji: kusuri
• Kanji breakdown: 薬 (yaku/kusuri) — medicine, drug
• Pronunciation: /kɯ.sɯ.ɾi/

Meaning

Medicine; drug; pharmaceutical. Substances used to treat or prevent illness.

Covers all forms of medication — pills, liquid medicine, ointments, and eye drops. Common expressions include 薬を飲む (to take medicine — note: 飲む 'drink' is used even for pills), 薬局 (pharmacy), and 薬が効く (the medicine works/takes effect). Can also mean agricultural chemicals or beneficial substances in a broader sense.

Examples

1. 食後にこの薬を飲んでください。 Please take this medicine after meals.
2. 頭が痛いので薬を買いに行った。 I had a headache, so I went to buy some medicine.
3. 薬のおかげで熱が下がりました。 Thanks to the medicine, my fever went down.

Usage Guide

Context: health, pharmacy, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 薬 combines 艹 (grass/plant radical) and 楽 (comfort/ease), reflecting that medicines were originally derived from plants to bring comfort.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal