药
Character learning workspace

yào · drugs, medicine

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

HSK 2.0 · Level 2HSK 3.0 · Level 2Frequency #701
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Learn every stroke in 药

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Step-by-step explorer

See how 药 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Writing notes

Shape and proportion

9Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Top-bottomCharacter structure

Keep the upper section balanced above the lower section.

艹Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 药 writing sheet

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 药

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

yàoWords pronounced yào
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Example sentences

Notice where 药 sits in each complete thought.

Jiāng nǐ xū yào de yào wù xiě zài zhè zhāng zhǐ shàng.将你需要的药物写在这张纸上。

Write down the medicine you need on this piece of paper.

Source: Tatoeba #10699373 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ huì gěi nǐ kāi gè yào fāng.我会给你开个药方。

I'll give you a prescription.

Source: Tatoeba #332958 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Zhè zhǒng yào wǒ chī le hǎo duō nián le.这种药我吃了好多年了。

I have been taking this medication for many years.

Source: Tatoeba #10699403 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ xiǎng zhè yào huì duì nín yǒu hǎo chù de.我想这药会对您有好处的。

I think this medicine will do you good.

Source: Tatoeba #782216 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Zhè xiē shì wǒ chī de yào.这些是我吃的药。

These are the medicines I use.

Source: Tatoeba #10699405 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Zhè yào duì nǐ yǒu hǎo chù.这药对你有好处。

This medicine will do you good.

Source: Tatoeba #336866 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 药 in context

  1. Say yào, then recall the core meaning: drugs, medicine.
  2. Write all 9 strokes while keeping the top-bottom balanced.
  3. Use it in 药店 (yào diàn), meaning “pharmacy”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 药 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.