Medicine in Chinese 药
yào
Medicine in Chinese is 药 (yào).
Also searched for as: medicine, pills, pharmacy, take medicine.
What do they give you? 12 essential medicine words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
The word for medicine in Chinese is 药 (yào), and taking it is 吃药 (chī yào), literally 'eat medicine'. These words help you buy what you need at a 药店 (yào diàn), pharmacy, and understand dosage instructions such as 一天三次 (yī tiān sān cì), three times a day. You'll also meet the everyday contrast between 中药 (zhōng yào), traditional Chinese medicine, and 西药 (xī yào), Western medicine, which many families use side by side.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 药 | yào | medicine |
| 吃药 | chī yào | to take medicine |
| 药店 | yào diàn | pharmacy |
| 处方 | chǔ fāng | prescription |
| 中药 | zhōng yào | Chinese medicine |
| 西药 | xī yào | Western medicine |
| 片 | piàn | tablet |
| 一天三次 | yī tiān sān cì | three times a day |
| 饭后 | fàn hòu | after meals |
| 副作用 | fù zuò yòng | side effect |
| 维生素 | wéi shēng sù | vitamins |
| 止疼药 | zhǐ téng yào | painkiller |
Usage tips
- Tablets are counted with 片 (piàn) and capsules with 粒 (lì): 每次两片 (měi cì liǎng piàn), two tablets each time.
- Instructions usually follow the order how much, how often, when: 一次一片，一天三次，饭后吃 (yī cì yī piàn, yī tiān sān cì, fàn hòu chī), one tablet at a time, three times a day, after meals.
- 中药 (zhōng yào) is often boiled into a bitter drink, so people also say 喝中药 (hē zhōng yào), drink Chinese medicine.
Common mistakes
- 'Take medicine' is 吃药 (chī yào), not 拿药 (ná yào); 拿药 means to collect medicine, for example from the pharmacy counter.
- 处方 (chǔ fāng), prescription, is often misread as chù fāng because 处 is chù in words like 到处 (dào chù); in 处方 it is third tone.
Mini dialogue
- A你好，我感冒了，有什么药吗？Nǐ hǎo, wǒ gǎn mào le, yǒu shén me yào ma?Hello, I've got a cold. What have you got for it?
- B你想要中药还是西药？Nǐ xiǎng yào zhōng yào hái shi xī yào?Would you like Chinese or Western medicine?
- A西药吧，要处方吗？Xī yào ba, yào chǔ fāng ma?Western, please. Do I need a prescription?
- B这个不用。一次两片，一天三次，饭后吃。Zhè ge bù yòng. Yī cì liǎng piàn, yī tiān sān cì, fàn hòu chī.Not for this one. Two tablets at a time, three times a day, after meals.
Example sentences
- 这个药很苦。This medicine is very bitter.
- 别忘了按时吃药。Don't forget to take your medicine on time.
- 前面有一家药店。There's a pharmacy up ahead.
- 这种药要有处方才能买。You need a prescription to buy this medicine.
- 奶奶喜欢吃中药。Grandma likes taking Chinese medicine.
- 西药比中药见效快。Western medicine works faster than Chinese medicine.
- 每次吃两片。Take two tablets each time.
- 这个药每次一片，一天三次。Take one tablet at a time, three times a day.
- 这个药要饭后吃。This medicine should be taken after meals.
- 这个药有副作用吗？Does this medicine have any side effects?
- 多吃水果，补充维生素。Eat more fruit to get your vitamins.
- 我头疼，吃了一片止疼药。I had a headache, so I took a painkiller.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Medicine speaking island has 8 everyday questions about medicine to prepare your own answers to.