薬 means “medicine”

くすり · kusuri

Also: chemical, enamel, gunpowder

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

くすり

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ヤク

JLPT N4 · Taught in grade 3 · 16 strokes

The story

The grass radical (艹) over comfort and music (楽): healing herbs that bring ease back to the body. Edo-period peddlers carried 薬 in wooden chests from village to village; their heirs are Japan's beloved drugstores.

Used in 薬 (kusuri, medicine), 薬局 (yakkyoku, pharmacy), and 目薬 (megusuri, eye drops)

More from Healing & Spirit

• 弱 weak
• 気 spirit
• 元 origin
• 死 death
• 病 illness
• 医 doctor
• 悪 bad

Learn 薬 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.