What is the most common word for medicine? (the physical substances, not the field of study)


医学 「いがく」 seems to be the field of medicine

医術 「いじゅつ」 might be another word for the field of medicine?

薬 「くすり」 is the word I found listed most often.

However, I also saw 医薬 「いやく」 and 薬剤 「やくざい」 but don't know what the differences
between these words are.




No comparison; Go with 「薬{くすり}」 or 「お薬」 as a patient or someone on the
patient's side. It is hard to beat kun-yomi words in intuitiveness.

「医薬」 and 「薬剤」 are too technical/academic for everyday conversations unless you
are a medical professional.

「医学」 and 「医術」 do not even mean 「薬」 in the first place. Those words refer to
the study/field of Medicine.




No comparison; Go with 「薬{くすり}」 or 「お薬」 as a patient or someone on the
patient's side. It is hard to beat kun-yomi words in intuitiveness.

「医薬」 and 「薬剤」 are too technical/academic for everyday conversations unless you
are a medical professional.

「医学」 and 「医術」 do not even mean 「薬」 in the first place. Those words refer to
the study/field of Medicine.

