藥
joek6
The Cantonese word for medicine is 藥 (joek6).
藥 is a noun referring to a substance used to promote healing. When describing the act of taking medicine, Cantonese speakers use the phrase 食藥 (sik6 joek6). This uses the verb 食 (sik6), which literally means 'to eat', to describe the consumption of the medicine.
Meaning: substance which promotes healing (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 藥 is the standard term, 藥物 (joek6 mat6) can be used to refer specifically to medicinal substances or drugs in more technical or formal contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
joek6
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the verb 飲 (jam2, to drink) when referring to liquid medicine. Even if the medicine is a liquid, the standard way to express taking medicine is to use 食藥 (sik6 joek6).
Did you know?
- In Cantonese, if someone is acting strangely or behaving irrationally, you might colloquially suggest they need to 食藥 (sik6 joek6).
- The character 藥 contains the radical for 'grass' (艹), reflecting the historical origins of medicine in herbal and plant-based remedies.
- Traditional Chinese medicine often uses the term 藥湯 (joek6 tong1) for herbal decoctions, which are boiled for hours and consumed as a dark, bitter soup.
Examples in context
- 呢隻藥每日要食三次。You need to take this medicine three times a day.This sentence is useful for learning how to specify the frequency of taking 藥.Tatoeba #7996176 by nickyeow, translation #2840147 by CK
- 個醫生開咗啲藥俾個病人。The doctor prescribed medicine for the patient.This sentence shows a common context where a doctor prescribes 藥.Tatoeba #585677 by nickyeow, translation #460059 by saasmath
- 渠而家要㪗下，我寄啲藥畀你餵渠，等渠睏著。I'll send you some medicine to give to her so she can sleep. She needs the rest.This sentence demonstrates using 藥 in a context of providing medicine to help someone sleep.Tatoeba #12093390 by thesilhouette, translation #5280478 by mailohilohi
- 我去買藥I am going to buy medicine.
- 我有幾粒藥I have a few pills of medicine.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jun Kit is feeling sick and asks Ka Yan for help.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit你有冇藥食？nei5 jau5 mou5 joek3 sik6?Do you have any medicine to take?
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan喺個櫃入面有啲藥。hai2 go3 gwai3 jap6 min6 jau5 di1 joek3.There is some medicine inside the cabinet.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit呢隻藥係醫感冒嘅嗎？ni1 zek3 joek3 hai6 ji1 gam2 maau6 ge3 maa?Is this medicine for a cold?
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan係呀，你快啲食咗佢啦。hai6 aa3, nei5 faai3 di1 sik6 zo2 keoi5 laa1.Yes, hurry up and take it.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
