药

药 yào

“drugs”

Radical: 艹 Strokes: 9 Level: HSK 2

How 药 is built — stacked top over bottom

艹

Grass radical (艹) · cǎo zì tóu

Two blades of grass. Plant words: 茶 tea, 花 flower, 药 medicine.

约

treaty

treaty, covenant, agreement

Grass/plants (艹) + 约 (yuē, sound) = medicine (药). Ancient medicine came from plants.

💡 吃药 (chī yào) = to take medicine. 药店 (yàodiàn) = pharmacy.

满节花苗英苹范茶草

Practice 药 in the free app — animated stroke order, tone training with your microphone, and spaced-repetition flashcards.