薬
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See also: 藥
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Translingual
| Traditional | 藥 |
|---|---|
| Shinjitai | 薬 |
| Simplified | 药 |
Han character
薬 (Kangxi radical 140, 艸+13, 16 strokes, cangjie input 廿戈人木 (TIOD), composition ⿱艹楽)
Derived characters
References
- Kangxi Dictionary: not present, would follow page 1062, character 44
- Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 32188
- Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): not present, would follow volume 5, page 3303, character 5
- Unihan data for U+85AC
Chinese
| For pronunciation and definitions of 薬 – see 藥 (“medicine; drug; pharmaceutical; substance used for a particular purpose; etc.”). (This character is a variant form of 藥). |
Japanese
| 薬 | |
| 藥 |
Kanji
薬
(Third grade kyōiku kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 藥)
Readings
- Go-on: やく (yaku, Jōyō)
- Kan-on: やく (yaku, Jōyō)
- Kun: くす (kusu, 薬)、くすり (kusuri, 薬, Jōyō)
- Nanori: み (mi)
Compounds
Compounds
- 薬罐 (yakkan)
- 薬缶 (yakkan)
- 薬局 (yakkyoku)
- 薬膳 (yakuzen)
- 薬品 (yakuhin)
- 薬用 (yakuyō)
- 薬理 (yakuri)
- 薬理学 (yakurigaku)
- 医薬品 (iyakuhin)
- 医薬部外品 (iyakubugaihin)
- 火薬 (kayaku): gunpowder
- 加薬 (kayaku)
- 偽薬 (giyaku), 擬薬 (giyaku): placebo
- 去痰薬 (kyotan'yaku): expectorant
- 膏薬 (kōyaku)
- 投薬 (tōyaku)
- 農薬 (nōyaku)
- 釉薬 (uwagusuri)
- 爆薬 (bakuyaku): explosive, explosive compound, blasting powder
- 媚薬 (biyaku): an aphrodisiac
- 解毒薬 (gedokuyaku): an antidote
Etymology 1
| Kanji in this term |
|---|
| 薬 |
| くす Grade: 3 |
| kun'yomi |
| Alternative spelling |
|---|
| 藥 (kyūjitai) |
From Old Japanese. Cognate with the kusu root of adjective 奇し (kusushi, “mystical”),[1] from the way that drugs and medicines would have mystical effects.
Pronunciation
Affix
Usage notes
Only used in compounds.
Derived terms
Derived terms
- 薬す (kususu): to treat someone or something using medicines or drugs (archaic)
- 薬らう (kusurau): to treat someone or something using medicines or drugs (may imply over a longer period of time; archaic)
- 薬 (kusuri): a medicine or drug (see below)
- 薬子 (kusuko): an unmarried young woman serving at the imperial court who tastes the ceremonial spiced sake at New Years
- 薬師 (kusushi): a doctor (archaic)
- 薬師指 (kusushiyubi): archaic alternate for 薬指 (kusuriyubi): the ring finger
- 薬玉 (kusudama): an ornamental scented ball made of flowers or other aromatics, displayed in early May
- 薬殿 (kusudono): during the Heian period, the consultation office of the court physician
- 薬練, 薬煉, 天鼠矢 (kusune): pine sap boiled in oil to make a strong resin used to reinforce bowstrings and other things
- 薬練糸, 薬煉糸 (kusuneito): a string with kusune applied to it
- 樟 (kusunoki), 楠 (kusunoki): the camphor tree
Etymology 2
| Kanji in this term |
|---|
| 薬 |
| くすり Grade: 3 |
| kun'yomi |
| Alternative spelling |
|---|
| 藥 (kyūjitai) |
From Proto-Japonic *kusori. Derivation from kusu above. Appears to be the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or noun form”) of unattested verb kusuru “to have a mystical effect”.
Pronunciation
Noun
- a substance with mystical properties, especially one that has an effect on the body, health, or lifespan
- a medicine or drug, a pharmaceutical
- a chemical, generally toxic and used for its effect on living organisms, such as insecticide or herbicide
- a substance that has a beneficial effect in improving or maintaining one's health
- (figurative) something that has a beneficial effect in correcting one's mistakes
- Short for 釉薬 (uwagusuri): a glaze or enamel applied to ceramics
- gunpowder (from the “mystical substance” sense, and the second character in the word 火薬 (kayaku, “gunpowder”))
- (figurative) a small bribe
Usage notes
The medicine sense is probably the most common in modern Japanese.
Derived terms
Derived terms
Etymology 3
| Kanji in this term |
|---|
| 薬 |
| やく Grade: 3 |
| on'yomi |
| Alternative spelling |
|---|
| 藥 (kyūjitai) |
From Middle Chinese 藥 (MC yak). Compare modern Cantonese 藥／药 (joek6).
Pronunciation
Noun
- (slang) a medicine or drug, especially a narcotic or other recreational drug
Usage notes
The slang meaning is generally limited to when the term yaku is used as a standalone noun. In compounds, yaku refers more generally to pharmaceuticals, or sometimes chemicals.
Derived terms
Derived terms
- 薬液 (yakueki): a liquid medicine
- 薬園 (yakuen): a field or garden for cultivating medicinal plants, especially during the Edo period
- 薬害 (yakugai): harm caused by a medicine or drug
- 薬学 (yakugaku): pharmacology, the study of pharmacy
- 薬学者 (yakugakusha): a pharmacologist
- 薬局 (yakkyoku): a pharmacy, a pharmacist's office
- 薬科 (yakka)
References
- ^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 “くすり 【薬】
”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten] (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 “やく 【薬】”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten] (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here
