Definition
草药 (cǎo yào) refers specifically to medicinal herbs—the raw or dried plants used in healing. 中药 (zhōng yào) is a broader term for traditional Chinese medicine, which includes 草药 as well as formulas, mineral ingredients, and animal products. Use 草药 when focusing on the plant material itself, and 中药 for the overall system or prepared treatments.
noun
herbal medicine
Examples
- 草药。Tā nǎinai yòng cǎo yào áo tāng zhì gǎnmào.His grandmother uses herbal medicine to make a soup to treat colds.
- 草药，。Zhè jiā diàn mài gè zhǒng cǎo yào, kěyǐ bāng nǐ tiáolǐ shēntǐ.This shop sells all kinds of herbal medicine that can help regulate your body.
- 草药。Wǒ yéye zài shān shàng cǎi le hěn duō cǎo yào.My grandfather picked a lot of herbal medicine on the mountain.
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