1.
antibiotic
A type of medication used to treat bacterial infections by killing or inhibiting the growth of bacteria.
医者に抗生物質を処方された。
The doctor prescribed me antibiotics.
抗生物質は最後まで飲みきってください。
Please take the full course of antibiotics.
抗生物質の使いすぎは耐性菌を生む原因になる。
Overuse of antibiotics is a cause of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
USAGE:
抗生物質 is the formal/technical term for antibiotics. In everyday conversation, people often simply say 抗生剤 or informally refer to them as their specific medication name.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 抗生物質を飲む (to take antibiotics)
- 抗生物質を処方する (to prescribe antibiotics)
- 抗生物質耐性 (antibiotic resistance)
IMPORTANT DISTINCTION:
Antibiotics treat bacterial infections, not viral ones. Japanese doctors sometimes explain this as 抗生物質は風邪には効かない (antibiotics don't work for colds).