1.
cold medicine; cold remedy
Medicine for treating symptoms of the common cold, such as fever, cough, runny nose, and sore throat. A formal term used in medical and pharmaceutical contexts.
薬局で感冒薬を買った。
I bought cold medicine at the pharmacy.
感冒薬を飲んだら眠くなった。
I got drowsy after taking the cold medicine.
市販の感冒薬は症状を抑えるだけで、風邪そのものを治すわけではない。
Over-the-counter cold medicine only suppresses symptoms; it doesn't cure the cold itself.
Composed of 感冒 (common cold — formal/medical term) and 薬 (medicine). This is the formal pharmaceutical term; in everyday conversation, 風邪薬 is far more common.
USAGE:
Found on medicine packaging, in medical documents, and in pharmaceutical contexts. Patients and general consumers more typically say 風邪薬 in daily conversation. The term 感冒 itself is a Sino-Japanese medical term for the common cold.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 総合感冒薬: comprehensive cold medicine (multi-symptom relief)
- 市販の感冒薬: over-the-counter cold medicine
- 感冒薬を服用する: to take cold medicine (formal)
- 感冒薬の副作用: side effects of cold medicine
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 風邪薬: cold medicine — the everyday term, identical in meaning but much more commonly used in conversation
- 解熱剤: antipyretic; fever reducer — targets fever specifically rather than cold symptoms broadly
- 鎮痛剤: painkiller — addresses pain, one of several cold symptoms