Kusuri is the Japanese word for ‘medicine’ or ‘drug’, explained

What does “kusuri” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers say “kusuri” to mean ‘medicine’ or ‘drug’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji character. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “kusuri” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meanings of “kusuri”
• Kusuri in kanji
  • Example #1: how to say “medicine” in Japanese
  • Example #2: another usage of “kusuri”
• Summary

Definition and meanings of “kusuri”

Let me start with the definition and meanings of “kusuri”.

• kusuri – 薬 (くすり) : a noun meaning ‘medicine’ or ‘drug’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.

Native speakers use this noun to refer to a substance which they use to improve or recover their health. In addition, they sometimes use it to refer to an illegal drug as well. So, this Japanese noun is quite similar to the English one, “drug”, I think.

The definition and meanings are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji components in detail, one by one.

Kusuri in kanji

The kanji character of “kusuri” consists of the following two components:

• 艹 : a kanji radical widely used in Japanese kanji characters related to grass and plants.
• 楽 : a kanji character used to mean ‘joy’, ‘comfort’, ‘ease’, or ‘relief’. This can also be found in other words like “ongaku” and “tanoshii“.

From these two components, we can understand that “kusuri” literally means ‘grass for joy’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meanings, but still very close, I think. Drugs are somehow what we use for our better health and joyful life.

When we meet new kanji characters, we should check their components in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji components tell us a lot about meanings of characters they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “kusuri” through the detailed check above.

Then, let me explain how to use “kusuri” through the example sentences below.

Example #1: how to say “medicine” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku” to make the subject word in the sentence.
• kyou – 今日 (きょう) : a noun meaning ‘today’ in Japanese. This can also work as an adverb almost anywhere in a sentence. In the example, this works as an adverb to say “today” in Japanese.
• wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “kusuri” to make the object word in the sentence.
• nomi – 飲み (のみ) : one conjugation of the verb, “nomu”, which means ‘to drink’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• mashi – まし : one conjugation of the auxiliary verb, “masu”, which is used after a verb to make it polite. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form. In the example, this works at the end of the verb phrase to make the past tense form.

This is a typical usage of “kusuri”. In this example, it works as a part of the expression, “kusuri wo nomi mashi ta”, which means ‘to have taken medicine’ politely in Japanese. This expression should be learnt together with its present tense form, “kusuri wo nomi masu”.

Example #2: another usage of “kusuri”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kono – この : a determiner used before a noun referring to a thing close to the speaker. In the example, this is used before “kusuri” to say “this medicine” in Japanese.
• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• ni – に : a case particle used to say to whom or to what object an action is directed. In the example, this is used after “watashi” to say for whom the medicine really works.
• totemo – とても : an adverb of degree meaning ‘very’, ‘much’, ‘so’, or such in Japanese. In the example, this is used before “kiku” to emphasize its meaning.
• kiku – 効く (きく) : a verb meaning ‘to affect’, ‘to work’, or such in Japanese.

This is another typical usage of “kusuri”. In this example, it works together with the verb, “kiku”, to say “medicine works” in Japanese. When we want to say “medicine” or “drug” in Japanese, anyway, this noun is a very good option.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “kusuri” in detail based on its kanji character. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• kusuri – 薬 (くすり) : a noun meaning ‘medicine’ or ‘drug’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Native speakers use this noun to refer to a substance which they use to improve or recover their health. In addition, they sometimes use this to refer to an illegal drug as well. So, this Japanese noun is quite similar to the English one, “drug”. The two kanji components literally mean ‘grass for joy’. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meanings, but still very close, I think. Drugs are somehow what we use for our better health and joyful life.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.