了

3 readings · tap one to hear it

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]

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HSK 3.0: Level 1
Old HSK: Level 1
Strokes: 2
Radical: 亅 +1
Structure: Top–bottom 上下
Traditional: 了
Common rank: #412
Unicode: U+4E86

Sound it out + + = · + + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

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.

Words with 了

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

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…

Sound family

These characters use 了 as their sound component — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
了 sound part	liǎo	clear; to finish; particle of completed action
辽	liáo	distant, far
钌	liào	ruthenium