Take medicine means to use a medicine, for example to swallow tablets. Take works for any form: tablets, drops, syrup or vitamins. People often add what the medicine is for and how often to take it: take medicine for a headache, take it twice a day.
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take (your) medicine; take medicine for + illness; take a pill/tablet; take + medicine + twice a day
- Don't forget to take your medicine after breakfast.
- I've been taking medicine for my allergy since April, and it really helps.
- You shouldn't take this medicine on an empty stomach.
What changed
First versionMy grandmother drinks pills for her blood pressure every morning.
RevisionMy grandmother takes pills for her blood pressure every morning.
Drink might seem logical because tablets are swallowed with water. But in English drink is used only for drinks: water, tea, juice. Medicines, pills and vitamins are taken: take. Even cough syrup is usually taken, not drunk.
Medicine is also the science of treating illness: She's studying medicine at university. In the general sense of something you take when you're ill, the word is uncountable: take some medicine. In the plural, medicines are different drugs: Keep all medicines away from children. Doctors and leaflets often say medication: Are you taking any medication?
Your turn
The pharmacist said I should ___ one tablet twice a day, after meals.
Show the answer
take — In English a tablet is taken, not drunk: take one tablet. Drink fits the glass of water you swallow it with, but not the tablet itself.
Tell a colleague how you treat a cold. Name the medicine and say how often you take it.
When I have a cold, I take paracetamol three times a day and drink lots of hot tea.
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