药效 (yào xiào) — efficacy (of a drug or medicine); medicinal eff…

Definition

药效 (yào xiào) is the noun for how well a medicine actually works — its strength and effect on the body, not the drug itself.

noun

efficacy (of a drug or medicine)medicinal effectiveness

药效。
Zhè zhǒng yào de yào xiào hěn hǎo.
The efficacy of this medicine is very good.
药效。
Yī shēng men zhèng zài yán jiū xīn yào de yào xiào.
The doctors are studying the efficacy of the new drug.
，药效。
Jīng guò lín chuáng shì yàn, zhè zhǒng yào de yào xiào yǐ jīng dé dào zhèng shí.
After clinical trials, the efficacy of this drug has been confirmed.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

药yàomedicine

药 describes the kind of 效, meaning medicinal effectiveness.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 藥; 药 is its simplified writing.

艹樂藥

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎograss

Sound part声符shēngfú

樂

樂lè藥yào

Same sound today

In the traditional form 藥, 艹 shows grass and 樂 gives the sound; this story is about 藥, not about the simplified 药.

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

交攵效

Meaning part形符xíngfú

攵Written in full as攴pūto strike; action

Sound part声符shēngfú

交

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.

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