The invention discloses a zero sample classification method based on an extreme learning machine, and the method is used for image classification. The method comprises the following steps: extracting the visual features of a training image at a training state, and extracting the training semantic features corresponding to the visual features of the training image; randomly generating a first input weight and a first threshold value for L junctions, and calculating a first output matrix of a hidden layer through employing a hidden layer mapping function; calculating the output weight of a network through the training semantic features and the first output matrix of the hidden layer; extracting the visual features of a test sample at a test stage, randomly generating a second input weight and a second threshold value for L junctions, and calculating a second output matrix of the hidden layer through employing the hidden layer mapping function; calculating an embedded vector, correspondingly located in a semantic space, of the second output matrix through the output weight, and judging the type of the test sample according to the similarity of the embedded vector with the semantic features in a semantic feature space. The method reduces the training time, and improves the classification speed of the image.