副作用

• Pinyin: fù zuò yòng
• Hanzi breakdown: 副 = 畐 + 刀 (secondary, auxiliary); 作 = 亻 + 乍 (make, do, function); 用 = 甩 simplified (use, effect)

Meaning

Side effect; adverse effect. An unintended secondary consequence of a drug, treatment, policy, or action.

Most common in medicine: 药物副作用 (drug side effects), 化疗副作用 (chemotherapy side effects). Also used metaphorically for unintended consequences of policies, technologies, or social changes: 经济政策的副作用 (side effects of economic policy). 副作用明显 (obvious side effects) and 减轻副作用 (reduce side effects) are standard collocations.

Examples

1. 这种新型抗生素疗效显著，但部分患者反映服用后出现了明显的胃肠道副作用。 This new antibiotic is highly effective, but some patients report noticeable gastrointestinal side effects after taking it.
2. 政府承认，这项限购政策在抑制投机的同时也产生了一些意料之外的副作用。 The government acknowledged that while the purchase-restriction policy curbed speculation, it also produced some unintended side effects.
3. 长期过量摄入某些补充剂可能带来严重的副作用，因此必须遵医嘱使用。 Long-term, excessive intake of certain supplements can cause serious side effects, so they must be used as directed by a doctor.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, pharmacy, policy, technology

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 在开始新的药物治疗前，患者应详细询问医生关于潜在副作用的信息。(Before beginning a new medication treatment, patients should ask their doctor in detail about the potential side effects.)
• 互联网技术的普及在提高效率的同时，也带来了隐私泄露等难以忽视的副作用。(While the widespread adoption of internet technology has improved efficiency, it has also brought hard-to-ignore side effects such as privacy breaches.)

Don't Say

• 副作用很好 — 副作用 is inherently negative or at least unintended; use 附带好处 or 意外收获 when a secondary effect is positive

Origin & History

副 (secondary/deputy) + 作用 (effect/function)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal