処方する

§ Understanding 処方する (shohō suru)

The verb 処方する (shohō suru) directly translates to "to prescribe medicine." It's a formal and common term you'll encounter in medical contexts in Japan. As a する (suru) verb, it's very straightforward to use. Just like with other する (suru) verbs, you can use the noun form 処方 (shohō) with する (suru) to create the verb.

§ Basic Sentence Structure

When using 処方する (shohō suru), the basic structure is usually:

[Doctor/Medical Professional] が [Patient] に [Medicine] を 処方する。

This means: "The doctor prescribes the patient medicine." Let's break down the particles:

• が (ga): Marks the subject (the one prescribing).
• に (ni): Marks the indirect object (the one receiving the prescription).
• を (o): Marks the direct object (the medicine being prescribed).

Hint

The doctor prescribed medicine to the patient.

§ Common Phrases and Variations

You'll often hear 処方する (shohō suru) in specific contexts. Here are a few practical examples:

Hint

You can't buy this medicine unless a doctor prescribes it for you (lit. unless you have a doctor prescribe it for you).

Here, 処方してもらう (shohō shite morau) means "to have someone prescribe for you" or "to get a prescription from someone." It emphasizes the action being done for your benefit.

Hint

They need to prescribe a new treatment method.

While 処方する (shohō suru) primarily refers to medicine, it can sometimes be used more broadly for prescribing a treatment method or a plan, though this is less common than with medicine.

Hint

Which medicine can I get prescribed? / Which medicine will you prescribe (for me)?

§ Related Vocabulary

You'll often see 処方する (shohō suru) alongside these terms:

• 処方箋 (shohōsen): Prescription (the written document)
• 薬 (kusuri): Medicine
• 医者 (isha): Doctor
• 患者 (kanja): Patient
• 病院 (byōin): Hospital

Hint

I took the prescription to the pharmacy.

Remember that 処方する (shohō suru) is about the act of prescribing, while 処方箋 (shohōsen) is the actual piece of paper (or electronic equivalent) that lists the prescribed medicine.

§ Don't confuse it with other 'giving' verbs

Many beginners mistakenly use general verbs for 'giving' like あげる (ageru) or くれる (kureru) when talking about prescribing medicine. While these verbs do mean 'to give', 処方する specifically refers to a medical professional prescribing medication. Using あげる or くれる in this context would sound very unnatural, as if the doctor is just handing out medicine casually, not professionally prescribing it.

§ Using it for non-medical 'prescriptions'

Another common error is trying to apply 処方する to non-medical situations where you might 'prescribe' a solution or a course of action in English. For example, you wouldn't say a teacher 'prescribes' homework or a manager 'prescribes' a new strategy. 処方する is strictly for medicine. For other situations, you would use different verbs like 指示する (shiji suru - to instruct) or 提案する (teian suru - to propose).

§ Incorrect particles with 処方する

The particles used with 処方する are important. Generally, the medicine being prescribed is marked with を (o), and the person it's prescribed to is marked with に (ni).

DEFINITION

The doctor prescribed antibiotics to the patient.

Mistakes often involve using incorrect particles or omitting them, which can make your sentence grammatically incorrect or hard to understand.

§ Forgetting the 'suru' part

処方 is a noun meaning 'prescription'. To make it a verb, you need to add する (suru), making it 処方する (shohō suru - to prescribe). Sometimes learners mistakenly use just 処方 as a verb, which is incorrect. Always remember to add する to make it an active verb.

DEFINITION

The doctor prescribed a new medicine.

Incorrect: 医師は新しい薬を処方。

§ Using it from the patient's perspective

While in English you might say, "I was prescribed medicine," in Japanese, 処方する is typically used from the perspective of the one doing the prescribing (the doctor). If you're the patient, you would more naturally say something like 薬をもらいました (kusuri o moraimashita - I received medicine) or 処方箋を出してもらいました (shohōsen o dashite moraimashita - I had a prescription issued). Using 処方する from a patient's perspective sounds a bit odd.

DEFINITION

I received medicine from the hospital.

By being mindful of these common pitfalls, you can use 処方する accurately and sound more natural when discussing medical prescriptions in Japanese.