Meaning of 了不起
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- amazing
- terrific
- extraordinary
How to use 了不起
了不起 praises people, achievements, or skills, often with 很 or 真. It also appears in the negative phrase 没什么了不起 to mean something is no big deal. Example: 你一个人做完了，真了不起。(Nǐ yí ge rén zuò wán le, zhēn liǎobuqǐ.) You finished it by yourself. That's amazing.
了不起 (liǎobuqǐ) literally hints at something so big you cannot 了 (liǎo, finish or handle) lifting 起 (qǐ, rise) it. When someone does a thing others cannot match, we say they are 了不起.
Common mistake: Learners often read 了 here as le, but in 了不起 it is liǎo with a third tone. Also, the middle 不 is neutral tone (bu), the same pattern as in 对不起 (duìbuqǐ).
了不起 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
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- 2
不 bù · no · 4 strokes
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- 2
- 3
- 4
起 qǐ · to rise · 10 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
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Related words
Words that share a character with 了不起.
| 一起 | yīqǐ | (in) the same place; together; in company (with) |
| 起来 | qǐlái | to stand up; to get up; also pr. [qi3lai2] |
| 对不起 | duìbuqǐ | I'm sorry; excuse me; I beg your pardon; to let (sb) down; to disappoint |
| 是不是 | shì bu shì | is or is not (used to form yes-no questions) |
| 不用 | bùyòng | need not |
| 起床 | qǐchuáng | to get out of bed; to get up |
| 不大 | bù dà | not very (clear, far away etc); not too; not often; infrequently |
| 不对 | bùduì | incorrect; wrong |
| 不客气 | bù kèqì | you're welcome; don't mention it |
| 不要 | bùyào | don't!; must not |
| 不过 | bùguò | only; merely |
| 不错 | bùcuò | correct; right |
Questions about 了不起
What does 了不起 mean?
了不起 (liǎobuqǐ) means "amazing; terrific" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 了不起?
了不起 is made of 3 characters: 了 (2 strokes), 不 (4 strokes), 起 (10 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 了不起 an HSK word?
Yes. 了不起 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 有什么了不起 mean?
有什么了不起 (yǒu shénme liǎobuqǐ) means "what's so great about that" and sounds dismissive. People use it when they think someone is showing off.
Can 了不起 describe things, not just people?
Yes. You can say 这是一个了不起的发明 (zhè shì yí ge liǎobuqǐ de fāmíng), "This is an extraordinary invention." It works for achievements, ideas, and events as well as people.