感冒薬(かんぼうやく)

Composed of 感冒(かんぼう) (common cold — formal/medical term) and 薬(やく) (medicine). This is the formal pharmaceutical term; in everyday conversation, 風邪薬(かぜぐすり) 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(かぜぐすり) in daily conversation. The term 感冒(かんぼう) itself is a Sino-Japanese medical term for the common cold.

Common collocations

• 総合(そうごう)感冒薬(かんぼうやく): comprehensive cold medicine (multi-symptom relief)
• 市販(しはん)の感冒薬(かんぼうやく): over-the-counter cold medicine
• 感冒薬(かんぼうやく)を服用(ふくよう)する: to take cold medicine (formal)
• 感冒薬(かんぼうやく)の副作用(ふくさよう): side effects of cold medicine

Similar words

• 風邪薬(かぜぐすり): cold medicine — the everyday term, identical in meaning but much more commonly used in conversation
• 解熱剤(げねつざい): antipyretic; fever reducer — targets fever specifically rather than cold symptoms broadly
• 鎮痛剤(ちんつうざい): painkiller — addresses pain, one of several cold symptoms