How to say "pill" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- nounRefers specifically to the contraceptive pill, taken orally as a medication; it is the word you want for 'the pill' in that sense, not for tablets in general.
- 錠剤じょうざいnounCovers pills, tablets and lozenges as a form of medicine. Use it when talking about medication shaped into a solid dose, as in pharmaceutical descriptions or instructions.
- 薬くすりnounThe general word for medicine or drugs; 'pill' is only one loose sense of it. For a pill as a specific object or dosage form, a more specific word is usually better.
- 錠じょうnoun, counterMeans a tablet or pill, but as a standalone noun it is chiefly encountered in counting, as in one tablet or two tablets; it is rarely the word you want for 'pill' itself.
Use 「ピル」 for the contraceptive pill, 錠剤 for pills and tablets as a dosage form, 薬 for medicine generally, and 錠 mainly in counting tablets.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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