药
药 (yào) means “medicine”. It is made of 艹 + 约 and has 9 strokes, and is an HSK 2 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
Break 药 into its parts
What 药 is made of
- 艹 cǎo — grass
- 约 yuē — treaty
- 纟 sī — silk
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 勺 sháo — spoon
- 勹 bāo — wrap shape
- 丶 — dot
- 纟 sī — silk
Origin hint: 艹 gives the meaning, 约 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
药 stroke order
Example sentences
你吃药了吗？Nǐ chī yào le ma?Have you taken your medicine?
这个药一天吃三次。Zhège yào yī tiān chī sān cì.Take this medicine three times a day.
Words with 药
Also built with 艹
- 劳láoto labor
- 艺yìart
- 节jiémeasure word for classes
- 芒mángblade
- 花huāflower
- 芽yábud
- 苍cāngdark blue
- 苏sūto awaken
- 苗miáosprouts
- 苟gǒucareless
- 若ruòif
- 苦kǔbitter
Quick facts
| Pinyin | yào |
|---|---|
| Meaning | medicine; drug |
| Strokes | 9 |
| Radical | 艸 (grass, #140) |
| Pattern | Top–bottom |
| HSK | HSK 2 (exam 2025) · HSK 2 (2021) · Old HSK 2 |
Questions about 药
What does 药 mean?
药 (yào) means “medicine; drug”.
How many strokes does 药 have?
药 has 9 strokes.
What is the radical of 药?
The radical of 药 is 艸 (cǎo, “grass”), Kangxi radical number 140.
What parts make up 药?
药 is made of 艹 (grass) and 约 (treaty).
Which HSK level is 药?
药 is in HSK 2 (exam 2025) and HSK 2 (2021) and Old HSK 2.
Learn 药 with its group
It is part of HSK 2 (2021) · Group 15: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.