作用 zuò yòng
“to act on; to affect; action”
noun, verbHSK 3 · 2021 list level 2
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
作用 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 1995: 作用 zuòyòng — Level 4; official annotation 4（6） (名、（动）). PDF page 129
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 作用
作用 is a noun meaning "effect, function, or role" — the result something has on a person or thing. It usually appears in patterns like 起作用 ("take effect"), 有作用 ("be effective") or 对…有/起作用 ("have an effect on …"). It is not used on its own as a verb in everyday speech.
例句Example sentences
- 这种药很起作用。zhè zhǒng yào hěn qǐ zuò yòng.This medicine works well.
- 老师的话对我起了很大的作用。lǎo shī de huà duì wǒ qǐ le hěn dà de zuò yòng.The teacher's words had a big effect on me.