2863
I saw on a board the other day someone referring to insecticide as "薬", which
doesn't really fit with the English conception of "medicine". I looked up "薬"
in Kenkyuusha, and sure enough, "chemical" was listed as a meaning (along with
"enamel", which is just weird if you ask me, but anyway . . .). My question
is, how broadly does the "chemical" sense apply in normal usage? For example,
would an adhesive,a cleanser, or a solvent be classed as "薬"? Additionally,
are there other senses which might surprise an English speaker?
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-08-25T20:52:52.567
2853
2011-08-26T01:57:25.507
634
question
meaning
How broad is the meaning of 薬?
> Additionally, are there other senses which might surprise an English
> speaker?

I was surprised at how it is used in relation to explosives:

  * 火薬【かやく】 → Gunpowder
  * 弾薬【だんやく】→ Ammunition
  * 爆薬【ばくやく】→ Explosive
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-08-25T22:57:36.163
2854
2011-08-25T22:57:36.163
78
2853
answer
If you pronounce it くすり, then it basically exclusively refers to something
that will have a positive effect on living beings (primarily therapeutic but
also in a more lax manner). In a strict sense くすり will be material, but it can
also be used as a metaphor:  
Note: I wrote くすり for illustrative purpose, but normally it is written as 薬.

```

     このくすりを呑みなさい (therapeutic)
     スパイスはくすりにもなるのでたくさん食べましょう ("good for your body")
     歩道でスケートボードしてて骨折か。まぁ、いいくすりになったんじゃないの？ (metaphoric)
     水槽にくすりを入れてあげなさい (to non-humans)
    
```

Metaphorically, it can be applied to non-living things as well, but it must
have an positive effect: 日本経済に処方するくすりとなるか？

When it's pronounced やく, it's basically exclusively used in conjunction with
other kanji, as in 薬品、爆薬、薬量、薬価 etc. etc. Here it can more broadly refer to
chemicals. If you are a chemist, a cleaner may well be a 薬品. If you are a
layperson, to call an ordinal cleaner "薬品" sounds a bit odd. If it's some kind
of an potent, special cleaning agent or something, then ppl use 薬品. I guess
that's similar to English.

You might hear the word "ヤク", which I believe comes from 薬. This is
exclusively a slang for entertaining drugs (basically illegal drugs).
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-08-26T01:57:25.507
2863
2011-08-26T01:57:25.507
499
2853
answer