效

Tap the pinyin to hear it

to imitate (variant of 效[xiao4])

Sound it out + + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

攵 meaning “strike” + 交 sound ( jiāo )

Components 交攵

effect · Heisig RSH #1045

交 mingle + taskmaster

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
上行下效	shàng xíng xià xiào	subordinates follow the example of their superiors (idiom)
行之有效	xíng zhī yǒu xiào	to be effective (idiom)
卡西米尔效应	Kǎ xī mǐ ěr xiào yìng	Casimir effect (attraction between two parallel metal plates due to quantum mechanical vac…
有效数字	yǒu xiào shù zì	significant figures (in a measured value)
有效性	yǒu xiào xìng	validity
有效日期	yǒu xiào rì qī	expiration date; expiry date
光电效应	guāng diàn xiào yìng	photoelectric effect
时效性	shí xiào xìng	sensitivity to timing; time-sensitive; timeliness
时效法	shí xiào fǎ	(law) statute of limitations
马太效应	Mǎ tài xiào yìng	Matthew effect
精干高效	jīng gàn gāo xiào	top-notch efficiency
失效日期	shī xiào rì qī	expiry date (of document)
五毛特效	wǔ máo tè xiào	laughable low-budget special effects
无效社交	wú xiào shè jiāo	unproductive social interaction
有效期	yǒu xiào qī	period of validity; sell-by date
一致性效应	yī zhì xìng xiào yìng	consistency effect
高效能	gāo xiào néng	highly efficient; effectivity
热岛效应	rè dǎo xiào yìng	urban heat island effect
经济有效	jīng jì yǒu xiào	cost-effective
特效药	tè xiào yào	effective medicine for a specific condition; highly effective medicine

Characters sharing the sound component 交 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
交 sound part	jiāo	to connect; to deliver, to exchange; to intersect; to mix
校	xiào	school; military field officer
咬	yǎo	to bite, to gnaw
较	jiào	to compare; relatively; more
绞	jiǎo	intertwined; to twist, to wring; to hang a criminal
郊	jiāo	suburbs, outskirts; wasteland, open space
饺	jiǎo	stuffed dumplings
狡	jiǎo	cunning, deceitful, treacherous
皎	jiǎo	white; bright, brilliant; clear
鲛	jiāo	shark
跤	jiāo	to tumble, to fall; to wrestle
蛟	jiāo	a legendary scaled dragon
佼	jiǎo	beautiful, handsome, good-looking
姣	jiāo	beautiful, handsome, pretty
洨	xiáo	a river in Hebei province
茭	jiāo	an edible aquatic grass; Zizania aquatica