zuofei: 作废 - To Become Invalid, To Be Canceled, Null and Void

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• Summary: Learn the meaning and usage of the Chinese word 作废 (zuòfèi), which means to become invalid, be canceled, or be declared null and void. This guide explains how to use 作废 for official documents like tickets, contracts, and passports, distinguishing it from similar words like “过期 (guòqī)” (expired) and “取消 (qǔxiāo)” (to cancel). Discover its cultural significance in formal contexts and learn through practical example sentences for everyday life in China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): zuòfèi
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To declare something null and void; to cancel or invalidate.
• In a Nutshell: 作废 (zuòfèi) is a formal term used when something loses its legal or official power. It’s not just that something has run out of time; it’s that it has been actively made useless. Think of a government official stamping “VOID” on a passport, a company terminating a contract, or an old law being officially taken off the books. It carries a sense of finality and authority.

• 作 (zuò): This character means “to make,” “to do,” or “to act as.” It implies an action being performed or a state being caused.
• 废 (fèi): This character means “to abolish,” “to waste,” “to discard,” or “ruined.” The character itself suggests a building (广) that has fallen into ruin.

The combination 作废 (zuòfèi) literally means “to make something ruined” or “to cause it to be abolished.” This direct combination perfectly captures the modern meaning of actively rendering a document, rule, or agreement invalid and useless.

作废 (zuòfèi) holds a specific weight in Chinese culture that reflects the importance of officialdom, bureaucracy, and formal agreements. In a society where official stamps (公章 gōngzhāng) and signed documents carry immense authority, the act of nullifying them is equally significant and formal. A good comparison in Western culture is the difference between a product being “expired” and a check being “voided.”

• Expired (过期 guòqī): This is a passive state. A carton of milk simply passes its use-by date. No one has to *do* anything to it; time takes care of it.
• Voided (作废 zuòfèi): This is an active, deliberate act. Someone must take a pen and write “VOID” across a check, or a government agency must officially cancel a visa. 作废 has this same active, authoritative feel. It implies an agent or power has stepped in to invalidate something, often before its natural expiration date. This distinction highlights the procedural and authoritative nature of many interactions in China.

作废 is primarily used in formal or semi-formal contexts. You'll encounter it most often when dealing with documents, rules, and official procedures.

• Documents and Tickets: This is the most common usage. It applies to anything with an official status that can be revoked.
• Contracts (合同 hétong)
• Tickets (票 piào)
• Passports (护照 hùzhào) and Visas (签证 qiānzhèng)
• Checks (支票 zhīpiào)
• Certificates (证书 zhèngshū)
• Rules and Agreements: It can be used when a rule, policy, or even a promise is officially declared no longer in effect.
• “The old regulations are now null and void.” (旧规定已经作废了。)
• In a very serious or dramatic context, one might say a promise between two people is now void.

It is generally considered too formal for casual, everyday situations. For a simple expired coupon, you would say 过期了 (guòqī le), not 作废了 (zuòfèi le).

• Example 1:
• 这张过期的火车票已经作废了。
• Pinyin: Zhè zhāng guòqī de huǒchē piào yǐjīng zuòfèi le.
• English: This expired train ticket has been invalidated.
• Analysis: A classic example. The ticket is no longer usable, so it has been made void. Here, it overlaps with 过期 (expired), but 作废 emphasizes its status as officially unusable.
• Example 2:
• 如果你不遵守条款，我们的合同将自动作废。
• Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ bù zūnshǒu tiáokuǎn, wǒmen de hétong jiāng zìdòng zuòfèi.
• English: If you do not abide by the terms, our contract will automatically become null and void.
• Analysis: This is a common phrase in legal and business contracts. 作废 here means the contract loses all its legal power.
• Example 3:
• 由于政策变动，旧的申请表格全部作废。
• Pinyin: Yóuyú zhèngcè biàndòng, jiù de shēnqǐng biǎogé quánbù zuòfèi.
• English: Due to a policy change, all of the old application forms are now void.
• Analysis: This shows how 作废 is used for official procedures. The old forms are no longer accepted.
• Example 4:
• 他写错了一个字，所以整张支票都作废了。
• Pinyin: Tā xiě cuòle yīgè zì, suǒyǐ zhěng zhāng zhīpiào dōu zuòfèi le.
• English: He wrote one character wrong, so the entire check was voided.
• Analysis: A perfect real-world scenario. A small mistake can render a formal document like a check invalid.
• Example 5:
• 你的旧会员卡下个月就作废了，记得来换新的。
• Pinyin: Nǐ de jiù huìyuánkǎ xià gè yuè jiù zuòfèi le, jìdé lái huàn xīn de.
• English: Your old membership card will become invalid next month, remember to come and exchange it for a new one.
• Analysis: Here, 作废 is used for a semi-formal document. It signals that the card will be actively deactivated by the system.
• Example 6:
• 所有的口头承诺，在没有书面协议的情况下，都可以被单方面作废。
• Pinyin: Suǒyǒu de kǒutóu chéngnuò, zài méiyǒu shūmiàn xiéyì de qíngkuàng xià, dōu kěyǐ bèi dān方面 zuòfèi.
• English: All verbal promises, without a written agreement, can be unilaterally declared void.
• Analysis: This sentence highlights the formal and slightly legalistic tone of 作废. It's about invalidating an agreement.
• Example 7:
• 因为发现了欺诈行为，他的护照被大使馆作废了。
• Pinyin: Yīnwèi fāxiànle qīzhà xíngwéi, tā de hùzhào bèi dàshǐguǎn zuòfèi le.
• English: Because fraudulent activity was discovered, his passport was voided by the embassy.
• Analysis: This shows the active nature of 作废. The passport didn't just expire; an authority (the embassy) took action to cancel it.
• Example 8:
• 这项旧法律早已作废，不再具有任何效力。
• Pinyin: Zhè xiàng jiù fǎlǜ zǎoyǐ zuòfèi, bù zài jùyǒu rènhé xiàolì.
• English: This old law was abolished long ago and no longer has any effect.
• Analysis: Used for laws and regulations. When a new law is passed, the old one it replaces is 作废.
• Example 9:
• 如果三十分钟内无人领取，这张中奖彩票将作废。
• Pinyin: Rúguǒ sānshí fēnzhōng nèi wúrén lǐngqǔ, zhè zhāng zhòngjiǎng cǎipiào jiāng zuòfèi.
• English: If no one claims it within 30 minutes, this winning lottery ticket will be voided.
• Analysis: Common in rules for contests and lotteries. It sets a condition for the ticket becoming invalid.
• Example 10:
• 我按错了按钮，之前的设置全都作废了。
• Pinyin: Wǒ àn cuòle ànniǔ, zhīqián de shèzhì quándōu zuòfèi le.
• English: I pressed the wrong button, and all the previous settings were wiped/invalidated.
• Analysis: A slightly more modern, tech-related usage. The settings are rendered useless, as if they were a voided document.

The most common point of confusion for learners is distinguishing 作废 from similar words.

• 作废 (zuòfèi) vs. 过期 (guòqī)
  • 作废 (zuòfèi): Actively made invalid. An authority cancels it. (e.g., The government voided my visa.)
  • 过期 (guòqī): Passively expired. Time ran out. (e.g., My milk has expired.)
  • Mistake: Saying “我的牛奶作废了” (Wǒ de niúnǎi zuòfèi le). This is incorrect. Milk can only expire (过期). A plane ticket, however, can both expire (过期) after the flight date, or be voided (作废) by the airline beforehand if you miss your connection.
• 作废 (zuòfèi) vs. 取消 (qǔxiāo)
  • 作废 (zuòfèi): Voids a thing (a document, a rule, a contract).
  • 取消 (qǔxiāo): Cancels an event or plan (a meeting, a flight, a subscription).
  • Mistake: Saying “我们把会议作废了” (Wǒmen bǎ huìyì zuòfèi le). This is wrong. You cancel a meeting: “我们取消了会议” (Wǒmen qǔxiāo le huìyì). After the meeting is canceled, the e-ticket for it might be considered 作废.
• 作废 (zuòfèi) vs. 无效 (wúxiào)
  • 作废 (zuòfèi): The action of making something invalid. It's a verb. “他们把合同作废了” (They voided the contract).
  • 无效 (wúxiào): The state of being invalid. It's an adjective. “这份合同是无效的” (This contract is invalid).
  • Often, the action of 作废 results in the state of 无效.

• 过期 (guòqī) - To expire. Refers to something passing its valid time period, a passive process.
• 取消 (qǔxiāo) - To cancel. Used for events, plans, or appointments.
• 无效 (wúxiào) - Invalid; ineffective. The state of being not valid. It's the adjective describing the result of something being 作废.
• 废除 (fèichú) - To abolish. A much stronger and more formal term, used for large-scale systems, laws, or treaties (e.g., to abolish slavery).
• 报废 (bàofèi) - To scrap (as in a car or machine). Refers to declaring a physical object as no longer usable and ready to be discarded.
• 合同 (hétong) - Contract. A very common document that can be made 作废.
• 文件 (wénjiàn) - Document; file. A general term for papers that can be 作废.
• 条款 (tiáokuǎn) - Clause; term (in a contract). The violation of a 条款 can lead to a contract being 作废.