HSK 4 · Objects

作用 zuòyòng “effect” in Chinese

Same in Traditional

What 作用 means

  1. effect
  2. role
  3. function
  4. to act on
  5. to affect
More meanings from CC-CEDICT
  • action
  • activity
  • impact
  • result
  • purpose
  • intent

How to say 作用

  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale作zuò4th tone, falling
  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale用yòng4th tone, falling

作用 in a sentence

  1. 电视在日常生活中起着重要的作用。

    Diànshì zài rìcháng shēnghuó zhōng qǐ zhe zhòngyào de zuòyòng.

    TV plays an important part in everyday life.

    Sentence #472987 from Tatoeba

  2. 他的忠告没起到太大的作用。

    Tā de zhōnggào méi qǐdào tài dà de zuòyòng.

    His advice didn’t help much.

    Sentence #1450427 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  3. 我好奇耳垂有什么作用。

    Wǒ hàoqí ěrchuí yǒu shénme zuòyòng.

    I wonder what earlobes are for.

    Sentence #1317002 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

How 作用 is built

Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

The character 作 (zuò) with each of its parts in a different colour
作zuòto do; to engage in
  • 亻person form of 人 · rén
  • 乍first time · zhà

Memory aidPerson 亻 with 乍 (zhà) for the sound: to make, to do.

The character 用 (yòng) drawn as one shape
用yòngto use; to make use of; to employ

用 is a single shape of 5 strokes. Learn it whole, then watch its stroke order below.

How to write 作用

作 7 strokes · 用 5 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

作用 (zuòyòng) stroke order chart: each stroke of the characters in the order you write them
Stroke order chart for 作用 (zuòyòng). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 作用

Words with 作

工作gōngzuò · to work作业zuòyè · school assignment工作日gōngzuòrì · working day作者zuòzhě · author作家zuòjiā · writer动作dòngzuò · movement制作zhìzuò · to make写作xiězuò · writing作文zuòwén · to write an essay合作hézuò · to cooperate

Words with 用

用yòng · to use不用búyòng · no need to有用yǒuyòng · useful常用chángyòng · commonly used信用卡xìnyòngkǎ · credit card使用shǐyòng · to use利用lìyòng · to make use of应用yìngyòng · to put to use运用yùnyòng · to use实用shíyòng · practical

More words: Everyday Things

知识zhīshi · knowledge质量zhìliàng · quality重点zhòngdiǎn · key point主意zhǔyi · plan车厢chēxiāng · carriage海关hǎiguān · customs (i.e. border crossing inspection)驾驶jiàshǐ · to drive救护车jiùhùchē · ambulance

FAQs

作用 (zuòyòng) means “effect” or “role”. It is an HSK 4 word.
Say it zuòyòng: zuò with a 4th tone, then yòng with a 4th tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
Yes. 作用 is written the same way in Simplified and Traditional characters.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type zuoyong with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 作用 from the suggestions. Typing zuoyong into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
作用 is an HSK 4 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.

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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.