作用

• Pinyin: zuò yòng
• Hanzi breakdown: 作 = 亻 (person radical) + 乍 (phonetic); 用 = pictograph of a fence or bucket, meaning 'to use'

Meaning

Function; effect; role. The impact or influence that something has.

Used to describe the effect, function, or role that something plays. Common in slightly more formal or educational contexts. Often appears in patterns like 起作用 (to have an effect), 有作用 (to be effective), or 副作用 (side effect).

Examples

1. 运动对身体有很大的作用。 Exercise has a great effect on the body.
2. 这种药有什么作用？ What effect does this medicine have?
3. 老师在学校里起着很重要的作用。 Teachers play a very important role in schools.

Usage Guide

Context: education, health, everyday

Tone: informational

Do Say

• 多喝水对身体有好的作用。(Drinking more water has a good effect on the body.)
• 这个方法没有什么作用。(This method doesn't have much effect.)

Don't Say

• 这个药很作用。(作用 is a noun, not an adjective — don't use it with 很 directly. Say 这个药很有作用 or 这个药的作用很大.)

Origin & History

Compound of 作 (to do/make) and 用 (to use), literally 'to do and use' — the functional effect of something.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal