了
·le ·
Spell out: + = · + =
to finish; (used with 得[de2] or 不[bu4] after a verb to express (im)possibility, as in 忘不了[wang4 bu5 liao3] "cannot forget"); (literary) (usually followed by a negative such as 無|无[wu2] or 不[bu4]) completely (not); entirely (not); (not) in the least; variant of 瞭|了[liao3]
2 strokes
Dict coverage rank #412 U+4E86
How 了 is formed
Pictograph (象形字)
A child swaddled in blanklets; compare 子
components: 乛 亅
How to remember it
-ed · Heisig RSH #101
子 child
Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.
Characters built with 了 as their sound component
These characters all use 了 (liǎo) as their phonetic component — compare how they read:
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 了 sound component | liǎo | clear; to finish; particle of completed action |
| 辽 | liáo | distant, far |
| 钌 | liào | ruthenium |
Words containing 了
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 大事化小，小事化了 | dà shì huà xiǎo , xiǎo shì huà liǎo | to turn big problems into small ones, and small problems into no problems at all (idiom) |
| 天安门开了 | Tiān ān mén kāi le | pants fly is down; the barn door is open |
| 上不了台面 | shàng bù liǎo tái miàn | too disreputable, crude or inferior to be presented publicly or taken seriously |
| 上不了台面 | shàng bù liǎo tái miàn | variant of 上不了檯面|上不了台面[shang4 bu4 liao3 tai2 mian4] |
| 大不了 | dà bu liǎo | at worst; if worst comes to worst; (usu. in the negative) serious; alarming |
| 下不了台 | xià bu liǎo tái | to be unable to extricate oneself gracefully; to be put on the spot; to be embarrassed |
| 不行了 | bù xíng le | (coll.) on the point of death; dying |
| 了无新意 | liǎo wú xīn yì | unoriginal; stereotyped |
| 出了事 | chū le shì | sth bad happened |
| 不得了 | bù dé liǎo | desperately serious; disastrous; extremely; exceedingly |
| 了不得 | liǎo bu de | terrific; terrible; (after 得[de5]) very |
| 用不了 | yòng bu liǎo | to not use all of; to use less than |
| 死不了 | sǐ bù liǎo | Portulaca Sundial (a type of plant) |
| 一走了之 | yī zǒu liǎo zhī | to avoid a problem by walking away from it; to quit |
| 了不起 | liǎo bu qǐ | amazing; terrific; extraordinary |
| 比不了 | bǐ bù liǎo | cannot compare to; to be no match for |
| 一目了然 | yī mù liǎo rán | obvious at a glance (idiom) |
| 一目了然 | yī mù liǎo rán | obvious at a glance (idiom) |
| 不了 | bù le | no thanks (used to politely but informally decline) |
| 不了 | bù liǎo | (as a resultative verb suffix) unable to (do sth); (pattern: {verb} + 個|个[ge5] + ~) withou… |