药

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leaf of the iris; variant of 藥|药[yao4]

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Formation & memory

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Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

艹 meaning “plant” + 约 sound ( yuē )

Components 艹约

medicine · Heisig RSH #1098

flower + 约 make an appointment

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
药物学家	yào wù xué jiā	pharmacologist
药水儿	yào shuǐ r	erhua variant of 藥水\|药水[yao4 shui3]
药代动力学	yào dài dòng lì xué	pharmacokinetics
药动学	yào dòng xué	pharmacokinetics
药物学	yào wù xué	pharmacology
药理学	yào lǐ xué	pharmacology
眼药水	yǎn yào shuǐ	eye drops; eyewash
中成药	zhōng chéng yào	prepared prescription (Chinese medicine)
红药水	hóng yào shuǐ	mercurochrome (antiseptic solution)
上眼药	shàng yǎn yào	to apply eye drops; (fig.) to speak ill of sb; to bad-mouth
学名药	xué míng yào	generic drug; generic medicine
药方儿	yào fāng r	erhua variant of 藥方\|药方[yao4 fang1]
不死药	bù sǐ yào	elixir of life
山药	shān yao	Chinese yam (Dioscorea polystachya); (dialect) sweet potato; (dialect) potato
国药	guó yào	Chinese herbal medicine
药水	yào shuǐ	medicine in liquid form; bottled medicine; lotion
中药	zhōng yào	traditional Chinese medicine; CL:服[fu4]
药学	yào xué	pharmacy (science of preparing medicines)
生药	shēng yào	unprocessed medicinal herb
药性	yào xìng	medicinal effect

Characters sharing the sound component 约 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
约 sound part	yuē	treaty, covenant, agreement
哟	yō	ah, final particle