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药力 (yào lì) — efficacy of a medicine; medicinal potency

Definition

药力 refers to the inherent strength or efficacy of a medicine itself — how potent a drug is. Compare 药效, which emphasizes the visible effect or result on the body.

noun
efficacy of a medicinemedicinal potency

Examples

  • 药力，。
    Zhè zhǒng yào de yào lì hěn qiáng, fú yòng hòu hěn kuài jiàn xiào.
    This medicine is very potent; it takes effect quickly after taking it.
  • 药力。
    Yī shēng jiàn yì zēng jiā jì liàng yǐ zēng qiáng yào lì.
    The doctor suggested increasing the dosage to enhance the efficacy.
  • 药力，。
    Zhōng yào de yào lì tōng cháng bǐ jiào wēn hé, dàn xū yào cháng qī fú yòng.
    The efficacy of Chinese medicine is usually milder, but it requires long-term use.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

药yàomedicine
力lìpower

药 refers to medicine, and 力 gives its working power.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 藥; 药 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
樂
樂lè藥yào
Same sound today

In the traditional form 藥, 艹 shows grass and 樂 gives the sound; this story is about 藥, not about the simplified 药.

Open 药 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

力 is drawn as either an arm bending out from the side of the body or a wooden plough.

Open 力 →
Appears in
Medicine & Treatment

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