農薬（のうやく、nouyaku）
- pesticide

The Japanese word 農薬 (のうやく) means "pesticide" or "agricultural chemical". It refers to any substance used to prevent, destroy, or control pests, weeds, or diseases that affect crops and agricultural products. This includes insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other chemical treatments used in farming.農薬 are applied to protect plants, increase crop yields, and maintain food quality.

⚫︎その野菜は農薬をほとんど使わずに育てられました。 Translation: That vegetable was grown with almost no pesticides. ⚫︎農薬の使用量を減らすために、新しい技術が開発されています。 Translation: New technologies are being developed to reduce the amount of pesticide use. ⚫︎農薬散布の際には、安全な服装を着用する必要があります。 Translation: When applying pesticides, it is necessary to wear safe clothing.

This word is commonly used in discussions about agriculture, farming practices, food safety, environmental issues, and health concerns. You would use 農薬 when talking about the use, effects, and regulations of pesticides in Japan or other contexts. It is a formal word, not something you would use in casual conversations.

農薬 is written in kanji, with the reading のうやく in hiragana. It is not commonly written in katakana. There are no variations in the okurigana.

There are no perfect synonyms, but related terms include: ⚫︎ 殺虫剤 (さっちゅうざい) - insecticide ⚫︎ 除草剤 (じょそうざい) - herbicide ⚫︎ 殺菌剤 (さっきんざい) - fungicide ⚫︎ 農薬成分 (のうやくせいぶん) - pesticide ingredients

There aren't direct antonyms, but related concepts would be things like: ⚫︎ 有機 (ゆうき) - organic (farming) ⚫︎ 無農薬 (むのうやく) - pesticide-free ⚫︎ 自然栽培 (しぜんさいばい) - natural cultivation

このリンゴは、農薬を一切使わずに栽培されたので、安心です。 ・Translation: These apples are safe because they were grown without any pesticides. ・Explanation: This sentence highlights the absence of pesticides as a selling point or a safety assurance.

農薬の過度な使用は、環境への悪影響が懸念されています。 ・Translation: The excessive use of pesticides is a concern for its negative impact on the environment. ・Explanation: This sentence brings up the concerns about environmental damage caused by heavy 農薬 usage.

The word 農薬 is a compound word. 農 (のう) refers to "agriculture" or "farming," and 薬 (やく) means "medicine" or "chemical." Therefore, 農薬 literally means "agricultural medicine" or "agricultural chemical," describing the substances used to treat and protect crops.