薬
くすり
hepburn kusuri
medicine, drug
Part of speech · noun
Pattern visualization
no decomposition available
Examples
- この薬を食後に飲んでください。Please take this medicine after meals.
- 薬が効いて頭痛が治まった。The medicine worked and the headache subsided.
Collocations
薬 (kusuri, medicine)薬を飲む (kusuri o nomu, take medicine)薬局 (yakkyoku, pharmacy)薬が効く (kusuri ga kiku, medicine works)副作用 (fukusayou, side effect)
Mnemonic
Kusuri (薬) is the noun "medicine" — the key cross-lingual point is verb choice: kusuri o nomu (literally "drink medicine") covers pills, capsules, liquids, and granules. Korean yag-eul meok-da ("eat medicine") and English "take" map differently. Metaphor: kusuri ga kiku (medicine works = is effective) → kore wa kusuri ni naru keiken ("this becomes medicine for me" = a lesson learned). Vocab cluster: yakkyoku (pharmacy), fukusayou (side effect), shohousen (prescription). Kanji 薬 = 艸 (grass) + 楽 (joy) — pictograph of herbs bringing the joy of healing.
Quick check
Verb used in Japanese for taking medicine?