了 meaning in English
(completed action marker); (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now)
Meaning of 了
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- (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 to use 了
As le, it goes after a verb to show a completed action, or at the end of a sentence to show a new situation. As liǎo, it appears in words like 了解 (liǎojiě) and after 得 or 不 to show whether something is possible. Example: 我吃饭了。(Wǒ chī fàn le.) I have eaten.
了 looks like a child 子 (zǐ) with the arms folded away. Picture a kid who has finished playing and tucked their arms in, so 了 marks that something is done.
Common mistake: Learners often add 了 to every past-tense sentence, but habitual past actions and states do not take it. For example, say 我以前住在北京 (wǒ yǐqián zhù zài Běijīng), not 我以前住了北京. Also, the negative of a completed action uses 没 without 了: 我没吃 (wǒ méi chī), not 我没吃了.
了 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
了 le · completed action marker · 2 strokes
- 1
- 2
Related words
Words that share a character with 了.
| 为了 | wèile | for; for the purpose of; in order to |
| 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 |
| 极了 | jí le | extremely; exceedingly |
| 了解 | liǎojiě | to understand; to know about; to learn about; to find out |
| 了不起 | liǎobuqǐ | amazing; terrific |
| 受不了 | shòubuliǎo | unbearable; unable to endure |
| 不得了 | bùdéliǎo | desperately serious; disastrous |
| 得了 | déle | all right!; that's enough! |
| 完了 | wánle | to be finished; to be done for |
| 算了 | suànle | let it be; let it pass |
| 罢了 | bàle | a modal particle indicating (that's all, only, nothing much) |
| 了结 | liǎojié | to settle; to finish |
Questions about 了
What does 了 mean?
了 (le) means "(completed action marker); (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now)" and is used as a auxiliary verb and verb.
How do you write 了?
了 is made of 1 character: 了 (2 strokes). That is 2 strokes in total.
Is 了 an HSK word?
Yes. 了 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 了 right after the verb and 了 at the end of the sentence?
After the verb, 了 shows the action is completed, as in 我买了三本书 (wǒ mǎi le sān běn shū), I bought three books. At the end of a sentence, it shows a change of state, as in 下雨了 (xià yǔ le), it has started raining.
How do I know when 了 is read liǎo instead of le?
It is liǎo when it means to finish or understand, as in 了解 (liǎojiě) and 了不起 (liǎobuqǐ). It is also liǎo after 得 or 不 to express possibility, as in 受不了 (shòubuliǎo), unable to endure.