药
medicine; drug
yào
What does 药 mean?
药 (yào) is the everyday Chinese noun for medicine — anything you take to treat an illness, from Western pills to traditional Chinese herbs. The most common verb is 吃药 (chī yào), literally 'eat medicine,' which English speakers often want to translate as 'take medicine.' Use 吃药 for pills and herbal brews, but 喝 (hē) for liquid medicine and 抹 (mǒ) or 涂 (tú) for ointments. 药 also appears in many compounds: 中药 (zhōngyào, traditional Chinese medicine), 西药 (xīyào, Western medicine), 药店 (yàodiàn, pharmacy), 药水 (yàoshuǐ, liquid medicine). Note that 药 by itself never means recreational drugs — for that, Chinese uses 毒品 (dúpǐn).
Character breakdown
medicine; herb (the grass radical 艹 on top hints at its herbal origin)
Memory hook: The grass radical 艹 on top reflects China's long history of plant-based medicine — most early 药 was literally herbs.
Measure word for 药
Example sentences
你吃药了吗？
Nǐ chī yào le ma?
Have you taken your medicine?
spoken
这种药一天吃三次。
Zhè zhǒng yào yì tiān chī sān cì.
Take this medicine three times a day.
neutral
药店在医院旁边。
Yàodiàn zài yīyuàn pángbiān.
The pharmacy is next to the hospital.
neutral
我不喜欢喝中药，太苦了。
Wǒ bù xǐhuan hē zhōngyào, tài kǔ le.
I don't like drinking traditional Chinese medicine — it's too bitter.
spoken
Common phrases with 药
Synonyms
药品 is the formal/written term used in news, regulations, and pharmacies for 'pharmaceutical products.' In daily speech, just say 药.
药物 is the technical/medical term for 'a medicinal substance.' Doctors and articles use it; in normal conversation 药 is more natural.
Don't confuse 药 with
Same pinyin, different character. 要 is a verb/modal meaning 'want / will / need.' 药 is a noun meaning 'medicine.' Compare 我要药 (wǒ yào yào, 'I want medicine').
毒品 means recreational/illegal drugs. 药 never carries that meaning in modern Chinese — it's strictly medicinal.
Looks similar at a glance because of the grass radical 艹, but 茶 means 'tea.' Different bottom component, different meaning.