Japanese Pharmacy Vocabulary 2 – Cheat Sheet

Need help with learning Japanese pharmacy vocabulary? The cheat sheet below is a compiled list to help you buy the right over-the-counter medicine! It is also a continuation of part one of our Japanese pharmacy vocabulary series.

From this list, we hope that you will be more able to communicate with the pharmacist in Japan and let them know what you are looking for.

Fun fact: many tourists often visit Japan for the sole purpose of drugstore shopping due to its cheap yet high-quality merchandise.

Click here for a list of top drugstores in Japan. Remember—practice makes perfect. This is part two of our Japanese pharmacy vocabulary series, so don’t go ahead before visiting the first one.

Japanese Pharmacy Vocabulary Sentence Examples

Here is how you form basic sentences with the terminology:

Example 1:

さくばんかたしっぷったので、今朝痛みが消えていました。

Sakuban kata ni shippu o hattanode, kesa itami ga kiete imashita

Because I applied a cold patch on my shoulder last night, the pain was gone by the morning.

Example 2:

やくざいしからくうふくときけ、くすりしょくごようにと言われました。

yakuzaishi kara kūfuku no toki o sake, kusuri wo shokugo ni nomu you ni to iwaremashita

My pharmacist told me to avoid taking medicine on an empty stomach and to take it after a meal.

Japanese Pharmacy Vocabulary – Pharmacy (やっきょく)

JapanesePronunciationMeaning
やっきょくyakkyokuPharmacy
やくざいしyakuzaishiPharmacist
しょほうせんshohōsenPrescription
ほけんしょうhokenshoInsurance Card
マスクmasukuMask
しょうどくshoudokuSanitize
アルコールしょうどくえきarukōru shoudokuekiAlcohol-based sanitizer
しっぷshippuCold patch
ビタミンbitaminVitamin

Japanese Pharmacy Vocabulary – Instructions for taking medicine (くすりかた)

JapanesePronunciationMeaning
ないふくやくnaifukuyakuoral drugs
がいようやくgaiyōyakuMedicine for external use
のむnomuDrink
はる haruStick on
ぬるnuruApply, put (ointment)
しょくぜんshoku zenBefore meal
しょっかんshokkanBetween meals
しょくごshoku goAfter meal
しゅうしんぜんshū shin zenBefore sleep

If you wish to have a short-term study in Tokyo, Check out our 3-month intensive Japanese courses. Also, feel free to send us an inquiry if you have any questions!

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