了 meaning and stroke order
(completed action marker); (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now); (modal particle intensifying preceding clause)
How to write 了, stroke by stroke
2 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
Meaning of 了
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (completed action marker)
- (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now)
- (modal particle intensifying preceding clause)
- (bound form) clear in one's mind; to understand clearly
- 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]
- unofficial variant of 瞭[liao4]
How 了 is built
Pictographic character. A child swaddled in blanklets; compare 子.
Radical: 亅 (hook), shared by 5 characters on this site.
How to remember 了
The etymology hint says 了 pictures a child swaddled in blankets, like 子 (zǐ) but with no arms showing. Picture the baby all wrapped up, finished and done, which links to the meaning "to finish" and the particle that marks a completed action.
As le, 了 follows a verb to show an action is complete, or ends a sentence to show a change of situation. As liǎo it appears in words like 了解 (liǎojiě, to understand) and after 得 or 不 to show whether something is possible. Example: 我吃饭了。(Wǒ chī fàn le.) I have eaten.
Common mistake: Learners often write 了 like 子 (zǐ, child) by adding the horizontal stroke; 了 has no crossing stroke. Another common trap is using 了 with habitual or future actions, such as saying 我每天去了学校 when you mean "I go to school every day."
Common words with 了
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 为了 | wèile | for; for the purpose of; in order to | HSK 3 |
| 除了 | chúle | apart from; besides; in addition to (used to exclude, as in 除了他，誰也沒來|除了他，谁也没来[chu2 le5 ta1 | HSK 3 |
| 极了 | jí le | extremely; exceedingly | HSK 3 |
| 了解 | liǎojiě | to understand; to know about; to learn about; to find out | HSK 4 |
| 了不起 | liǎobuqǐ | amazing; terrific | HSK 4 |
| 受不了 | shòubuliǎo | unbearable; unable to endure | HSK 4 |
| 不得了 | bùdéliǎo | desperately serious; disastrous | HSK 5 |
| 得了 | déle | all right!; that's enough! | HSK 5 |
| 完了 | wánle | to be finished; to be done for | HSK 5 |
| 算了 | suànle | let it be; let it pass | HSK 6 |
| 罢了 | bàle | a modal particle indicating (that's all, only, nothing much) | HSK 6 |
| 了结 | liǎojié | to settle; to finish | HSK 7-9 |
| 忘不了 | wàng bu liǎo | cannot forget | HSK 7-9 |
| 没完没了 | méiwán-méiliǎo | without end; incessantly | HSK 7-9 |
了 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 了
Learning 了 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 了
How many strokes are in 了?
了 is written with 2 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 了 mean?
了 (le) means (completed action marker); (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now); (modal particle intensifying preceding clause). A common word with it is 为了 (wèile), meaning "for; for the purpose of; in order to".
How do you pronounce 了?
了 has more than one reading: le and liǎo. The most common is le, said in the neutral tone (short and light).
What is the radical of 了?
The radical of 了 is 亅, which carries the idea of "hook". Dictionaries list 了 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 了?
The traditional form of 了 is 瞭. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 了 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 了 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 了 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
How do I know when to read 了 as le or liǎo?
Read it le when it is a grammar particle after a verb or at the end of a sentence. Read it liǎo in words like 了解 (liǎojiě) and 了不起 (liǎobuqǐ), and in possibility patterns like 受不了 (shòubuliǎo), unbearable.
Is 了 the same as the past tense in English?
Not exactly. 了 marks completion or a change of state, not past time itself. For example, 下雨了 (xià yǔ le) means "it has started raining," a new situation happening now.