薬 (くすり, kusuri) Japanese meaning: medicine

薬 (くすり, kusuri) Japanese meaning: medicine | Kotomora

Kanji

薬medicine, chemical, enamel

Related words· 10

医い薬やく品ひんN1sense 1
医薬品 is the formal, official term for pharmaceuticals used in regulations and packaging, while 薬 is the everyday word for medicine.
麻ま薬やくN1sense 4
麻薬 specifically names narcotics or illegal drugs in formal/legal contexts, while 薬 in this sense is a more casual, general word for the same idea.
ドラッグ
薬 is the everyday, native Japanese word for medicine, while ドラッグ often carries a clinical or scientific tone in this sense.
新しん薬やく
薬 is the general everyday word for medicine, while 新薬 specifically denotes a newly developed drug.

Show 6 more

薬やく品ひんN2
薬 is the everyday, common word for medicine, while 薬品 is a more formal or technical term used for medicinal substances collectively.
剤ざい
薬 is the everyday standalone word for medicine, while 剤 is a suffix attached to a specifier to name a particular type of medicinal or chemical agent (e.g. 下剤, 洗剤).
薬やく剤ざい
薬 is the everyday, general word for medicine, while 薬剤 is a more formal or technical term used in medical and professional contexts.
薬やく物ぶつ
薬 is the everyday word for medicine or drugs, while 薬物 is the formal term used in medical, legal, and news contexts.

Opposites

毒どくN3sense 1
薬 heals or helps the body, while 毒 harms or poisons it—often contrasted in phrases like 薬にも毒にもなる.

Don't confuse with

鎖くさりN3
鎖 (くさり) 'chain' and 薬 (くすり) 'medicine' sound very similar to learners but are completely unrelated in meaning.

Counted with

服ふくN5
For doses of (powdered) medicine and servings of tea (一服).
粒つぶN2
For small grain-like items — beans, pills, drops, tears, pearls.
錠じょう
For tablets and pills (1日3錠).

Word family· 43

目め薬ぐすりN1
eye drops; eyewash
薬くすり指ゆびN2
ring finger; fourth finger · fourth toe
胃い薬ぐすり
stomach medicine
釉薬うわぐすり
glaze; enamel

Written forms

薬くすりUsage93%
Standard kanji spelling for all senses. High-frequency word.
クスリUsage4%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is common when referring to illegal drugs.
くすりUsage3%

Etymology

The kanji 薬 is a phono-semantic compound with 艹 (plant) and 樂 (music/comfort), originally referring to medicinal herbs that bring comfort. The reading くすり is a native Japanese word of uncertain origin.

薬くすり

Meanings

Usage patterns

Expressions· 16