制酸剤
seisanzai
The Japanese word for antacid is 制酸剤 (seisanzai).
制酸剤 refers to a substance that reduces acidity. It is a technical or medical term typically found on pharmaceutical packaging or in clinical contexts.
Meaning: agent reducing acidity (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 制 (control/restrain), 酸 (acid) and 剤 (agent/medicine).
How do you pronounce it?
seisanzai
Did you know?
- While 制酸剤 is the correct medical term, a person in a pharmacy might more commonly ask for 胃薬 (iyaku), which literally means 'stomach medicine'.
- The term 剤 (zai) in 制酸剤 appears in many Japanese words for chemicals, such as 洗剤 (senzai) for laundry detergent, implying both are 'agents' that clean or treat.
- In Japan, some antacids are sold as 'chewable tablets' called チュアブル錠 (chuaburu-jō), a loanword from English that sounds like 'chewable'.
Examples in context
- 友達：胃薬持ってる？お腹が痛いんだよ。Friend: Do you have any stomach medicine? My stomach hurts.
- これは強力な制酸剤です。Kore wa kyouryoku na seisanzai desu.This is a powerful antacid.
- 胃が痛いので制酸剤を飲みます。I ga itai node seisanzai o nomimasu.My stomach hurts, so I will take an antacid.
- ドラッグストアで制酸剤を買いました。Doraggusutoa de seisanzai o kaimashita.I bought an antacid at the drugstore.
Example conversation
Yui and Yota are at a pharmacy.
- 結衣 Yui胃が痛いので、制酸剤を探しています。I ga itai node, seisanzai o sagashite imasu.My stomach hurts, so I am looking for an antacid.
- 陽太 Yotaこちらにいくつかの制酸剤がございます。Kochira ni ikutsuka no seisanzai ga gozaimasu.We have several antacids over here.
- 結衣 Yuiどれが一番効きますか。Dore ga ichiban kikimasu ka.Which one is the most effective?
- 陽太 Yotaこちらの商品が一番人気です。Kochira no shouhin ga ichiban ninki desu.This product is the most popular.
