生しょう薬やく

also: きぐすり · せいやく

しょ

う

や

く

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun

crude drug; natural medicine; galenical

Refers to unprocessed or minimally processed natural substances used as medicines, such as herbs, minerals, or animal parts. Common in traditional medicine contexts.

漢かん方ぽうでは、さまざまな生しょう薬やくを組くみ合あわせて処しょ方ほうする。
In Kampo medicine, various crude drugs are combined to make a prescription.
この生しょう薬やくは乾かん燥そうさせた根ねから作つくられる。
This crude drug is made from dried roots.

See all 28 example sentences ›

Kanji

生life, genuine, birth
薬medicine, chemical, enamel

Related words

漢かん方ぽう薬やくN1
生薬 is a raw, unprocessed natural medicinal ingredient, while 漢方薬 is a finished herbal remedy often formulated by combining several 生薬.

Word family

生しょう薬やく学がく
pharmacognosy

Written forms

生薬Usage100%
- しょうやく
  Standard kanji form; the most common reading is しょうやく.
- きぐすり
  Rare reading; may be encountered in traditional contexts.
- せいやく
  Rare reading; less common than しょうやく.
きぐすり
せいやく

Etymology

From 生 (raw, unprocessed) and 薬 (medicine). The reading しょうやく is the most common Sino-Japanese reading; きぐすり is a native Japanese reading, and せいやく is an alternative Sino-Japanese reading.