bou2 joek6補藥补药
Jyutpingbou2 joek6
Yalebóu yeuhk
Definition
Tonic; nutritious health food with therapeutic effects, usually referring to Chinese herbal medicine.
colloquialhealthfood
How it's used
Refers specifically to traditional Chinese medicinal ingredients or soups intended to strengthen the body, rather than modern vitamin supplements or Western medicine. It carries a strong cultural association with the concept of nourishing the body from within to balance internal energy. People often use it when discussing recovery from illness or seasonal health maintenance.
Measure word
zai1劑jāiExamples
These tonics are very expensive, don't just eat them randomly.
Your body is so weak, shouldn't you drink some tonic?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with general medicine or pills for treating acute symptoms, as it is strictly for long term health maintenance and nourishment. It is rarely used to describe a quick fix for a headache or fever.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
