效 meaning and stroke order
Result, effect; effective
How to write 效, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Meaning of 效
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- effect
- efficacy
- to imitate
- variant of 傚|效[xiao4]
- to imitate (variant of 效[xiao4])
- variant of 效[xiao4]
How 效 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Strike.
攵 gives the meaning and 交 hints at the sound.
Radical: 攵 (to rap), shared by 36 characters on this site.
How to remember 效
效 is a sound-meaning character: 交 (jiāo) on the left gives the sound, and 攵, a hand holding a stick to strike, gives the meaning of action. Picture someone striking a tool into place so the action finally shows an effect.
效 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It mostly appears in words like 效果 (xiàoguǒ, result), 有效 (yǒuxiào, effective) and 效率 (xiàolǜ, efficiency). Example: 这个药很有效。(Zhège yào hěn yǒuxiào.) This medicine is very effective.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 效 (xiào) with 校 (xiào, school), which sounds the same but has 木 on the left instead of 攵 on the right. Also remember that the right side is 攵, not 文 or 欠.
Common words with 效
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 有效 | yǒuxiào | effective; in effect | HSK 3 |
| 效果 | xiàoguǒ | result; effect | HSK 3 |
| 效率 | xiàolǜ | efficiency | HSK 4 |
| 成效 | chéngxiào | effect; result | HSK 5 |
| 无效 | wúxiào | not valid; ineffective | HSK 6 |
| 效力 | xiàolì | effectiveness; positive effect | HSK 7-9 |
| 奏效 | zòuxiào | to show results; to be effective | HSK 7-9 |
| 失效 | shīxiào | to fail; to lose effectiveness | HSK 7-9 |
| 生效 | shēngxiào | (of a law, contract, agreement, ban etc) to come into force; to go into effect; to become | HSK 7-9 |
| 效应 | xiàoyìng | effect (scientific phenomenon) | HSK 7-9 |
| 高效 | gāoxiào | efficient; highly effective | HSK 7-9 |
| 功效 | gōngxiào | efficacy | HSK 7-9 |
| 效仿 | xiàofǎng | see 仿傚|仿效[fang3 xiao4] | HSK 7-9 |
| 见效 | jiànxiào | to produce the intended effect; to achieve the desired result | HSK 7-9 |
效 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 效
Learning 效 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 效
How many strokes are in 效?
效 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 效 mean?
效 (xiào) means result, effect; effective. A common word with it is 有效 (yǒuxiào), meaning "effective; in effect".
How do you pronounce 效?
效 is pronounced xiào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 效?
The radical of 效 is 攵, which carries the idea of "to rap". Dictionaries list 效 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 效?
The traditional form of 效 is 俲, 傚 and 効. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 效 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 效 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 效 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 效果 and 结果?
效果 (xiàoguǒ) is the effect something has, usually whether it worked well, like the effect of a method or medicine. 结果 (jiéguǒ) is simply the outcome or result of an event, good or bad.
Can 效 mean to imitate?
Yes, 效 can mean to imitate, as in 效仿 (xiàofǎng, to imitate) or the idiom 东施效颦 (Dōngshī xiào pín), clumsy imitation. This sense is more formal or literary than the meaning of effect.