# I have to go to the pharmacy to pick up some medication.



## yuechu

大家好！

I was wondering how to translate the following sentence to Chinese "I have to go to the pharmacy to pick up some medication." For example, would 拿 work in this context?
Thanks!


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## Mimi2020

Yes, 拿 or 取 would work。我得去药房拿/取药。


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## yuechu

OK! Thanks, Mimi2020!


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## SimonTsai

我要去藥局領藥。


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## yuechu

Thanks for your reply, SimonTsai! 
Is 领药 more formal than 拿药 and 取药？


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## SimonTsai

They are all colloquial to me.


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## yuechu

OK, great. Thanks again!


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## Jack12345

The difference is just according to the habits.
In mainland, 取药 is common phrase. 拿药 is also used generally in some areas.
领药 give me a sense of traditional usage. Because, (A向B)领(取)... hints A's level is lower than B. For example, 
学生到老师那里领(取)了课本。
到税务局领（取）登记表。
So, I feel 领药 is a formal and traditional phrase. It's rarely used in mainland. Because pharmacy provides services but not administers sth..


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## SimonTsai

到提款機【領】錢
到管理中心【領】包裹
這集演完後就來【領】便當
到失物招領處持身分證件【領回】遺失的物品。

Another regional difference is that people here, in my belief, are more inclined to say '藥局' than '藥房'.


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## Jack12345

SimonTsai said:


> 藥局


“药局”，这个听起来好像是个行政机关。这样与“领”搭配就比较合适。
这些差异是各地的习惯不一样。


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## Skatinginbc

局：專業人員審瓣事務或審造事物的機關場所（e.g., 尚藥局、 官書局）。
專業人員：藥師
審：查對醫師處方
造：配製
事物：藥劑
機關: 有組織的團體機構
藥局 (pharmacy): 藥師根據醫師處方進行配藥的場所。

中華書局編輯部,  三民書局出版的書 ==> 書店只賣書, 不編審修纂書籍
元．關漢卿《竇娥冤》：「自家姓盧，人道我一手好醫，都叫做賽盧醫，在這山陽縣南門開著生藥局。」==> 「藥局」(pharmacy) 有醫藥專業人員 (e.g., 醫師、藥師) 把關, 「藥房」(drugstore) 可能沒有。


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## zzfeng0713

yuechu said:


> I was wondering how to translate the following sentence to Chinese "I have to go to the pharmacy to pick up some medication." For example, would 拿 work in this context?


我要去药店拿/取/买药


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## Jack12345

Skatinginbc said:


> 機關: 有組織的團體機構


It makes the sense of 药局. 
In mainland, 机关 always refers to bureaucratic official organizations. Such as, 政府机关，（政府的）行政机关，他坐机关的（指在政府工作的）


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## albert_laosong

Yes, 领药 sounds like, on the one hand, you get the medication for free, the medication is being distributed without charge for some reason. then on the other, it's a regular thing, you do it regularly, but it doesn't have to be this way, it can very well be a one time thing. 

And yes, 机关 in China always mean 政府机关 when you use it to mean an organization。


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