薬=kusuri=Medicine (Mini Lesson #125)

「食べ過ぎちゃった…」

=Tabesugichatta…

=I ate too much…

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Yep! I ate too much last night, and I have a stomachache today.

So today’s word is 薬=kusuri=medicine

薬=kusuri/yaku

*薬を飲む

=kusuri wo nomu

=to take medicine

（The verb 飲む=nomu means “to drink” but we also use it to take medicine.  (Note! You cannot literally say “take” medicine (薬を取る=kusuri wo toru) in Japanese.  It sounds strange.)

In Japan we can buy over the counter medicine like pain killers, cold medicine at a 薬局=yakkyoku, pharmacy.

For the more seriously sick, we go to the doctor or hospital and either get medicine there directly or get a 処方箋=shohousen=prescription and go to 処方箋薬局=yakkyoku=pharmacy where they deal with prescription medicine.

Basically there are two kinds of medicines.

•外用薬=gaiyouyaku=external medicine

Basic medicines

•塗り薬=nuri gusuri=topical cream

•湿布薬=shippuyaku＝compress, pack, anti-inflammatory analgesic plaster

•消毒薬=shoudokuyaku=antiseptic substance

•目薬=megusuri=eye-drop

•内服薬=naifukuyaku=medicine for internal use

We also call it as

•のみぐすり=飲み薬=nomigusuri=oral medicine

:rrrr: • 粉薬=こな薬=powder medicine

How to count: 包=hou, pou

:rrrr: •カプセル=kapuseru=capsule

How to count: 個=ko

:rrrr: •錠剤=jouzai=pills

How to count: 錠=jou

Basic medicines

•風邪薬=kazegusuri=cold medicine

•胃腸薬=ichouyaku=digestive medicine

•頭痛薬=zutsuuyaku＝headache medication

•痛み止め=itamidome=pain killer

•下痢止め薬=geridomeyaku=anti-diarrhea medication

•便秘薬=benpiyaku=laxative product

•ビタミン剤=bitaminzai=vitamins

•とんぷく薬=頓服薬

=tonpukuyaku

=medicines for internal use which you take when it is necessary like pain killer.

Besides とんぷく薬=tonpukuyaku, we are supposed to take medicine regularly.

Almost all the medicine has these notes outside of the box or envelope.

Ex.１日３回=ichinichi sankai=three times a day

Ex.１日２回=ichinichi nikai=twice a day

Ex. 毎食後=maishokugo=after each meal

Ex. 朝•昼•ねる前•（　　　　）時間毎に

=asa/hiru/nerrumae/ (     ) jikan goto ni

=in the morning/at noon/before going to bed/ every (     ) hours

Ex. 食後•食前•食間=shokugo/shokuzen/shokkan=after meal/before meal/during the meal

Ex. 各２個(２種）おのみ下さい。=Kaku niko (nishu) onomi kudasai = Please take two for each medicine. (two kinds (of medicines)


From Maggie Sensei

みなさんも食べ過ぎには気をつけて下さいね。

=Minasan mo tabesugi niwa kiwotukete kudasaine.

=You should be careful not to eat too much either!

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