WORD DETAIL
特効薬
とっこうやく
Examples
Included kanji
Study notes
1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning
- Structure:
特効薬is read asとっこうやくand is a noun for an especially effective medicine or, figuratively, a decisive remedy. - Basic usage: It appears as
病に効く特効薬for illness and問題の特効薬for a figurative solution.
2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions
- Medicine and solution
- The doctor seeks a literal cure, while dialogue is compared to a remedy for problems.
- Partial negation with
わけではない特効薬になるわけではないrejects the claim that dialogue solves everything; it does not say dialogue has no value.

