卓有成效 (zhuó yǒu chéng xiào) — highly effective; producing outstanding results

Definition

Written/formal idiom meaning 'highly effective, with outstanding results'. Pairs with 工作、方法、改革 — describes effort or measures that clearly work.

idiom
highly effectiveproducing outstanding results

Examples

  • 卓有成效，。
    Zhè ge fāng àn zhuó yǒu chéng xiào, dà dà tí gāo le gōng zuò xiào lǜ.
    This plan is highly effective, greatly improving work efficiency.
  • 卓有成效，。
    Tā de guǎn lǐ fāng fǎ zhuó yǒu chéng xiào, gōng sī yè jì zēng zhǎng hěn kuài.
    His management method is highly effective, and the company's performance grew quickly.
  • ，卓有成效。
    Jīng guò duō cì shí yàn, tā men zhōng yú zhǎo dào le yì zhǒng zhuó yǒu chéng xiào de fāng fǎ.
    After many experiments, they finally found a highly effective method.

Origin

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The old shape has been explained as a child with a flag-like mark above, or as a man standing high on an altar, giving the sense of tall and outstanding.

Open 卓 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
戊戊wù
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng成chéng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

成 puts 戊, a weapon, beside 丁, which gives the sound. The weapon part relates to protection, as in the old sense of city walls.

Open 成 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攵Written in full as攴pūto strike; action
Sound part声符shēngfú
交
交jiāo效xiào
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

效 pairs 攵 (written in full as 攴), meaning “to strike; action,” with 交, which gives the sound.

Open 效 →

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