Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 藥 / 药 | yào |
| 藥材 / 药材 | yàocái |
| 藥物 / 药物 | yàowù |
| 藥品 / 药品 | yàopǐn |
| 藥療 / 药疗 | yàoliáo |
Mandarin uses different terms depending on whether you are discussing raw ingredients, finished commercial goods or pharmaceutical substances. A common way to express the action of taking medicine is by using the verb 吃 (chī, 'to eat') instead of the English verb 'to take'.
What does it mean word for word?
The character 藥 / 药 (yào) contains the grass/plant radical (艹), which reflects the historical origin of most medicines being plant-based.
Which one should you use?
While 藥 / 药 is the general term, 藥材 / 药材 (yàocái) refers specifically to raw medicinal materials or herbs used to make medicine. 藥品 / 药品 (yàopǐn) is used when discussing medicine as a commercial product or medicinal good, such as in a pharmacy context. 藥物 / 药物 (yàowù) is used to refer to pharmaceutical drugs.
How do you pronounce it?
yào
What mistakes should you avoid?
When expressing that you are taking medicine, avoid using a direct translation of 'to take'. Instead, use the verb 吃 (chī), which literally means 'to eat'.
Did you know?
- The phonetic component of 藥 (yào) is the character 樂 (lè/yuè), which is the same character used for 'music' or 'happiness'.
- The concept of 'medicine' in China often overlaps with 'food', leading to the practice of 藥食同源 (yào shí tóng yuán), or 'medicine and food share the same source'.
- Traditional Chinese pharmacies often store 藥材 / 药材 in hundreds of small wooden drawers, which are indexed by the properties of the substance rather than just alphabetical order.
Examples in context
- 我需要买一些药。I need to buy some medicine.
- 这种药物对于感冒非常有效。This medicine is very effective for a cold.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “medicine” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 藥, CC BY-SA 4.0.
