有效 (yǒu xiào) — effective; valid | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

有效 is the general word for 'effective / valid' — applies to methods, medicines, documents, and contracts alike. Use 管用 for things that 'work in practice', 奏效/见效 for something producing a result over time.

verb

effectivevalid

Examples

有效。
Zhè ge yào duì gǎn mào hěn yǒu xiào.
This medicine is very effective against colds.
有效？
Zhè ge fāng fǎ zhēn de yǒu xiào ma?
Is this method really effective?
有效，。
Nǐ de jiàn yì hěn yǒu xiào, xiè xie.
Your suggestion is very helpful, thank you.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

有yǒuhave

效xiàoeffect

“有” (have) and “效” (effect) combine to mean having effect, hence valid or in force.

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.

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.

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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

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.

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Appears in