效 (xiào) - effect & efficacy

效Tone 4

xiào ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

想信

效 · xiào

effect;

efficacy;

to imitate;

to follow an example;

to exert effort;

result

effectefficacyto imitate

Usage highlights

effectivenessefficiencyimitatelearn fromefficacyeffective

Synonyms

  • 果— result; outcome
  • 仿— imitate; copy
  • 功— achievement; merit

Antonyms

  • 因— cause (antonym to effect)
  • 本— origin; source (contrasts with result)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • This medicine is very effective (很有效).
  • We should learn from good examples (效法榜样).
  • The company strives for high efficiency (高效率).
  • The treatment showed good results (疗效显著).

Collocations

  • effectiveness(效果)
  • efficiency(效率)
  • imitate(效仿)
  • learn from(效法)
  • efficacy(效能)
  • effective(有效)

Idioms

  • Follow the example of the Eastern Neighbor(东施效颦)
  • Serve with utter devotion(效死输忠)
  • Strive to repay kindness(效犬马力)
  • Work hard to accomplish something(效命疆场)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, 效 emphasizes the importance of learning from good examples and achieving tangible results.
  • The character embodies the Confucian value of emulating virtuous models for self-improvement.
  • In modern contexts, 效 is strongly associated with efficiency and effectiveness in work and technology.

FAQ