效 (xiào) is a Chinese character meaning “effect”. It is written from 交 (to cross; to hand over; to intersect) and 攵 (a hand holding a stick; marks an action done to something), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “effect”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
交 + 攵
Left–right structure
- 交 to cross; to hand over; to intersect · jiāo sound
- 攵 a hand holding a stick; marks an action done to something · pū meaning
Structure from: 说文解字: 效，象也。从攴交声；现代字形拆分经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验（交6画 + 攵4画 = 10画）
Memory aid
Paths cross (交) and a hand with a stick (攵) shows you how — copy what works and you get results.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 效果xiào guǒeffect; result效 = xiào
- 有效yǒu xiàoeffective; valid效 = xiào
- 卓有成效zhuó yǒu chéng xiàohighly effective; producing remarkable results效 = xiào
- 效率xiào lǜefficiency效 = xiào
Go deeper
All readings
effect
effect; result; to imitate; to devote (one's efforts)
功用、成果；也指模仿、仿照，或为人出力。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 效果xiào guǒeffect; result效 = xiào
- 有效yǒu xiàoeffective; valid效 = xiào
- 卓有成效zhuó yǒu chéng xiàohighly effective; producing remarkable results效 = xiào
- 效率xiào lǜefficiency效 = xiào
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 效 mean?
效 (xiào) means effect; result; to imitate; to devote (one's efforts).
How do you pronounce 效?
It is pronounced xiào.
What parts is 效 made of?
交 (to cross; to hand over; to intersect) and 攵 (a hand holding a stick; marks an action done to something), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 效，象也。从攴交声；现代字形拆分经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验（交6画 + 攵4画 = 10画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 效 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 效?
攵. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 效?
Common ones are 效果 and 有效. The reading of 效 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.