약
yak · TOPIK 1
medicine
💊 약 (yak) = hanja 藥: the grass radical 艹 on top, since medicine began as herbs
약 comes from the hanja 藥, the same character as Chinese yào and Japanese yaku. Its top part 艹 is the plant radical: early medicine was herbal. Sound hook: yak sounds like yuck, which is how bitter medicine tastes.