Translation guide
A liquid or semi-liquid preparation rubbed into the skin for pain relief or muscle soreness. In Japanese, this is most commonly expressed with specific product types or descriptive phrases rather than a single everyday word.
A topical liquid applied to relieve muscle aches, stiffness, or joint pain.
General term for topical medicine, including liniments. Safe and widely understood.
肩こりに塗り薬を使っています。
I'm using a liniment for my stiff shoulders.
Technical/pharmaceutical term for 'external liquid preparation'. Often seen on product labels.
この外用液剤は筋肉痛に効きます。
This liniment works for muscle pain.
Direct loanword from English. Rarely used in everyday conversation; mostly found in medical contexts or product names.
医師がリニメント剤を処方しました。
The doctor prescribed a liniment.
Referring to well-known Japanese liniment-like products by brand or type.
Medicated patch or compress, often containing liniment-like ingredients. Extremely common for muscle pain.
腰が痛いので湿布を貼りました。
My back hurts, so I put on a medicated patch.
Liquid version of a medicated patch; applied like a liniment and dries to form a film.
液体湿布を肩に塗ってください。
Please apply the liquid liniment to your shoulder.
Famous Japanese brand of liquid liniment (e.g., アンメルツヨコヨコ). Often used generically.
アンメルツを塗るとスーッとします。
When you apply Anmeltz, it gives a cooling sensation.
The English word 'liniment' is not commonly used in everyday Japanese. Using リニメント may sound unnatural or overly medical. Stick to 塗り薬 or specific product names.