生效

• Pinyin: shēng xiào
• Hanzi breakdown: 生 = 土 + 屮 (produce, arise); 效 = 交 + 攴 (effect, result)

Meaning

To take effect; to come into force; to become operative — referring to laws, contracts, medicines, or decisions.

A formal term used when a rule, agreement, or treatment begins to work or apply. Common in legal and administrative language. Contrasted with 失效 (to expire or become invalid). Typical collocations: 正式生效 (formally take effect), 即日生效 (effective immediately), 条约生效 (treaty enters into force).

Examples

1. 新的个人信息保护条例将于下月一日起正式生效，各企业须做好合规准备。 The new personal information protection regulation will officially take effect on the first of next month, and companies must prepare to comply.
2. 双方签署协议后，合同内容立即生效，任何一方不得单方面撤回。 Once both parties signed the agreement, the contract took effect immediately, and neither side may withdraw unilaterally.
3. 这种新型药物通常在服用后二十分钟内开始生效，效果可持续数小时。 This new type of medication usually starts to take effect within twenty minutes after you take it, and the effects can last for several hours.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, policy, medicine, contracts

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 该法律修正案经全国人大审议通过后，将于公告发布之日起正式生效，具有普遍约束力。(After being reviewed and passed by the National People's Congress, this legislative amendment will formally take effect from the date of publication and carry universal binding force.)
• 新颁布的环境排放标准将于明年一月一日生效，届时所有工业企业必须严格遵照执行。(The newly promulgated environmental emission standards will take effect on 1 January next year, by which time all industrial enterprises must strictly comply.)

Don't Say

• 生效 to describe a physical object starting to move or operate — 生效 is reserved for rules, agreements, and substances taking legal or functional effect; use 启动 or 运作 for machines

Origin & History

生 (to arise, to produce) + 效 (effect, result)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal