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薬

薬 — medicine, chemical, enamel

Learn the correct stroke order for 薬 (medicine), a 16-stroke kanji.

JLPT N3Grade 316 strokes

Stroke Order

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Stroke 0 / 16
On'yomi (音読み)ヤクyaku
Kun'yomi (訓読み)くすりkusuri
Strokes16
Radical艸
Frequency#702
Meaningsmedicine, chemical, enamel, gunpowder, benefit

Step-by-Step Diagram

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Try Writing It

Practice writing each stroke in the correct order and direction. Start from the green dot.

Draw stroke 1 of 16 — start from the green dot

Common Words

医薬いやくmedicine; (pharmaceutical) drug; medical treatmentnoun
火薬かやくgunpowder; powdernoun
劇薬げきやくpowerful medicine; strong poisonnoun
試薬しやくreagentnoun
製薬せいやくmedicine manufacture; drug manufacturenoun
弾薬だんやくammunition; ammonoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 薬 (medicine) is taught in grade 3 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N3 level. It has 16 strokes with radical 艸.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 薬 is #702, making it a frequently used kanji.

Example Words in Context

医薬いやく — medicine; (pharmaceutical) drug; medical treatment
火薬かやく — gunpowder; powder
劇薬げきやく — powerful medicine; strong poison

Practice Sheet

Trace then write on your own. Print this row as a PDF practice sheet.

Related Kanji

Same radical (艸)

芝turf芋taro花flower芸technique芳perfume芯wick英England若young

Same reading

約promise役duty

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 薬 have?

The kanji 薬 (medicine) has 16 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 薬?

薬 follows the standard Japanese stroke order as taught in schools. Use the step-by-step diagram or the "Try Writing" tool above to practice each stroke in sequence.

What does 薬 mean?

薬 means: medicine, chemical, enamel, gunpowder, benefit. On'yomi readings: ヤク. Kun'yomi readings: くすり.

What JLPT level is 薬?

薬 is a JLPT N3 kanji. This is an intermediate kanji.