了

liǎoㄌㄧㄠˇ

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TOCFL 1

Meaning

Meanings

1
to finish
2
(used with 得[de2] or 不[bu4] after a verb to express (im)possibility, as in 忘不了[wang4 bu5 liao3] "cannot forget")
3
(literary) (usually followed by a negative such as 無|无[wu2] or 不[bu4]) completely (not); entirely (not); (not) in the least
4
to understand clearly (variant of 瞭|了[liao3])

Examples

See it in context

我该去睡觉了。

我該去睡覺了。

I have to go to sleep.

我该去睡觉了。

我該去睡覺了。

I have to go to bed.

Muiriel现在20岁了。

Muiriel現在20歲了。

Muiriel is 20 now.

Muiriel现在20岁了。

Muiriel現在20歲了。

Muiriel has turned twenty.

這個永遠完不了了。

This is never going to end.

Grammar

Grammar using 了

得了 / 不了

Can or cannot finish with 得了 / 不了 · A2 · TOCFL a2

Related: 了

了解

liǎo jiě

to understand

对了

duì le

Correct!

得了

dé le

all right!

得了

dé liǎo

(emphatically, in rhetorical questions) possible

了解

liǎo jiě

to understand

算了

suàn le

let it be

罢了

bà le

a modal particle indicating (that's all, only, nothing much)

罢了

bà liǎo

a modal particle indicating (don't mind it, ok)

Stroke practice

Practice writing 了

Characters

simplified script

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