OTC is the short form of over-the-counter. The picture is: you stand at a counter and buy something yourself, with no special permission in between.

OTCOTC is是 the short form of over-the-counterover-the-counter的縮寫。The picture is畫面是：you stand at a counter你站在櫃檯前 and buy something yourself自己買東西，with no special permission in between中間不需要任何特別許可。

The meaning many learners meet first is medicine. An OTC medicine is one you can buy in a pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription — cold tablets, painkillers, some creams. The opposite is a prescription drug.

The meaning many learners meet first很多學習者最先遇到的意思，is是 medicine跟藥有關的。An OTC medicine一種OTC藥品 is是 one you can buy in a pharmacy你可以在藥局買到的 without a doctor's prescription不需要醫生處方——cold tablets, painkillers, some creams像感冒藥、止痛藥、一些藥膏。The opposite相反的 is是 a prescription drug需要處方的藥。

The other big meaning is money and markets. OTC trading is buying and selling that does not go through a main stock exchange; the deal happens “over the counter” between two parties, or on a smaller market.

The other big meaning另一個重要的意思，is是 money and markets跟金錢、市場有關。OTC tradingOTC交易 is是 buying and selling that does not go through a main stock exchange不透過主要證交所進行的買賣；the deal happens "over the counter"交易是「在櫃檯上」 between two parties由雙方直接談，or on a smaller market或是在較小的市場裡進行。

Though actually, in Taiwan this second meaning is very loud: people say OTC when they talk about the 櫃買 / 店頭 market, and a student here may think of stocks before they think of a chemist.

Though actually不過其實，in Taiwan在台灣 this second meaning is very loud這第二個意思特別響亮：people say OTC大家講OTC when they talk about the 櫃買 / 店頭 market指的就是櫃買、店頭市場，and而 a student here在這裡的學生 may think of stocks before they think of a chemist可能先想到股票，才想到藥局。

It is an abbreviation, fairly neutral in tone — medicine boxes, finance news, job talk. Always let the context choose: pills, or prices.

It它 is是 an abbreviation一個縮寫詞，fairly neutral in tone語氣相當中性——medicine boxes, finance news, job talk藥盒上、財經新聞裡、工作場合裡都會用。Always let the context choose永遠讓上下文決定：pills, or prices是指藥丸還是價格。