了
See also: 瞭 and 𠄏
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Translingual
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Han character
了 (Kangxi radical 6, 亅+1, 2 strokes, cangjie input 弓弓 (NN), four-corner 17207, composition ⿱乛亅 or ⿱乛㇁)
Derived characters
- 𡤼, 𠆨, 𠖭, 𠮩, 𢆳, 𢩪, 𣱾, 𭨥, 𣎸, 𣬝, 辽, 𤽀, 𭾙, 䄦, 𪜜, 𥾇, 𬚊, 䑠, 𧘈, 𧺐, 𧾿, 𪞠, 釕(钌), 𫘵, 𩵌, 𩾒(𬷽), 𪌀, 𬼷, 𭣡, 𬻺, 𪟽, 㝋, 𭙏, 𦫼, 疗, 𥤣, 亨, 爳, 𬼶, 𠙶, 叾, 𬼹, 𠄏
References
- KangXi: page 85, character 11
- Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 226
- Dae Jaweon: page 173, character 20
- Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 48, character 6
- Unihan data for U+4E86
- Unihan data for U+F9BA
Chinese
| trad. | 了/瞭* | |
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| simp. | 了 | |
| 瞭 – sense “clear” | ||
Glyph origin
| Historical forms of the character 了 | ||||||||
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| Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) | ||||||||
| Small seal script | ||||||||
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References: Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation),
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Characters in the same phonetic series (了) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
| Old Chinese | |
|---|---|
| 釕 | *teːwʔ |
| 了 | *reːwʔ |
Pictogram (象形) – a baby wrapped in a blanket, with only the head visible. Compare with 子, where the arms are visible.
This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.
Etymology 1
From Proto-Sinitic *leʀ.
Verb “to finish; to be completed” > perfective aspect particle (了₁, weakened form) > change-of-state modal particle (了₂).
Two kinds of particle uses of 了 can be distinguished: the perfective aspect particle after verbs (conventionally written as 了₁) and the sentence-final modal particle (了₂). It is generally accepted (Wu, 1998) that these two uses of 了 are derived from the concrete verb “to finish”. The grammaticalisation of this verb had become common in the Tang Dynasty, initially in the form of ‹verb + (object) + perfective 了› to indicate the completion of an action.
The perfective particle subsequently underwent further grammaticalisation to become the sentence-final change-of-state modal particle; Liu (1985) has demonstrated that this last step may have involved the coalescence of sentence-final 了 with 也 in certain Mandarin dialects, as the pronunciations of 了₁ and 了₂ are distinct in these dialects, with 了₂ rhyming with 也.
This word is cognate with Thai แล้ว (lɛ́ɛo, “to be finished; already; then, afterwards”), Lao ແລ້ວ (lǣu, “to finish; to be completed; perfective particle”) (Schuessler, 2007).
Pronunciation 1
Definitions
了
- Used after a verb to indicate perfective aspect (action completion).
- 我吃了一個蘋果。／我吃了一个苹果。 ― Wǒ chī le yī ge píngguǒ. ― I ate an apple. / I have eaten an apple.
- 他在北京住了兩年。 [MSC, trad.]
- Tā zài Běijīng zhù le liǎng nián. [Pinyin]
- He lived in Beijing for two years.
他在北京住了两年。 [MSC, simp.]
- Used at the end of a sentence to indicate a change of state.
- 他是大學生了。／他是大学生了。 ― Tā shì dàxuéshēng le. ― He has become a college student / He is a college student now.
- Used at the end of a sentence to inform the beginning of an action.
- 我走了。 ― Wǒ zǒu le. ― I'm leaving now.
- (contemporary Shanghainese Wu) Used to indicate the present tense.
Synonyms
Dialectal synonyms of 了 (“(perfective particle)”) [map]
| Variety | Location | Words edit |
|---|---|---|
| Classical Chinese | 矣1 | |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 了 | |
| Mandarin | Beijing | 了 |
| Taiwan | 了 | |
| Harbin | 了 | |
| Yantai (Muping) | 了 | |
| Jinan | 了 | |
| Luoyang | 了 | |
| Wanrong | 嘮 | |
| Xi'an | 咧 | |
| Yinchuan | 了 | |
| Ürümqi | 咧 | |
| Wuhan | 了 | |
| Chengdu | 了 | |
| Guiyang | 了 | |
| Guilin | 了 | |
| Liuzhou | 了 | |
| Xuzhou | 了 | |
| Yangzhou | 了 | |
| Nanjing | 了 | |
| Malaysia | 了 | |
| Singapore | 了 | |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 咗, 嘵 obsolete |
| Hong Kong | 咗 | |
| Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou) | 咗 | |
| Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou) | 咗 | |
| Hong Kong (Ting Kok) | 耗 | |
| Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau) | 好 | |
| Macau | 咗, 敲 | |
| Guangzhou (Panyu) | 咗 | |
| Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) | 咗 | |
| Guangzhou (Conghua) | 咗 | |
| Foshan | 咗 | |
| Foshan (Sanshui) | 咗 | |
| Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) | 咗 | |
| Zhongshan (Shiqi) | 哺 | |
| Zhuhai (Qianshan) | 咗 | |
| Jiangmen (Xinhui) | 誒, 咗 | |
| Taishan | 誒 | |
| Kaiping (Chikan) | 誒 | |
| Enping (Niujiang) | 誒 | |
| Dongguan | 敲 | |
| Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) | 好 | |
| Shenzhen (Dapeng) | 後, 咗 | |
| Qingyuan | 咗 | |
| Fogang | 咗 | |
| Yingde (Hanguang) | 咗 | |
| Shaoguan | 咗 | |
| Shaoguan (Qujiang) | 咗 | |
| Renhua | 咗 | |
| Lechang | 咗 | |
| Zhaoqing (Gaoyao) | 咗 | |
| Xinxing | 標 | |
| Luoding | 咗 | |
| Yangjiang | 都 | |
| Nanning | 嗮 | |
| Nanning (Tanka) | 嗮 | |
| Wuzhou | 啊 | |
| Hepu (Lianzhou) | 了 | |
| Guiping | 畢 | |
| Guiping (Mule) | 開, 了 | |
| Pingnan | 開 | |
| Guigang (Gangcheng) | 開 | |
| Guigang (Pingdong) | 開, 了 | |
| Beihai | 了 | |
| Beihai (Nankang) | 了 | |
| Beihai (Yingpan) | 了 | |
| Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô) | 了, 咗 | |
| Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà) | 咗 | |
| Fangchenggang (Fangcheng) | 了, 咗 | |
| Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) | 咗 | |
| Singapore (Guangfu) | 咗 | |
| Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu) | 咗 | |
| Móng Cái | 了, 咗 | |
| Gan | Nanchang | 了 |
| Lichuan | 了 | |
| Hakka | Meixian | 了 |
| Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua) | 拋, 阿 | |
| Dongguan (Qingxi) | 開 | |
| Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) | 開 | |
| Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) | 開 | |
| Wuhua (Shuizhai) | 哩 | |
| Wuhua (Huacheng) | 哩 | |
| Wuhua (Changbu) | 哩 | |
| Wuhua (Mianyang) | 哩 | |
| Yudu | 了 | |
| Hong Kong | 開 | |
| Senai (Huiyang) | 開 | |
| Kuching (Hepo) | 了 | |
| Huizhou | Jixi | 了 |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 咾 |
| Xinzhou | 咾 | |
| Jiuxing Yumin | Lanxi | 了 |
| Min Bei | Jian'ou | 了 |
| Min Dong | Fuzhou | 了, 𡅏 |
| Min Nan | Penang (Hokkien) | 了 |
| Singapore (Hokkien) | 了 | |
| Manila (Hokkien) | 了, 咯 | |
| Chaozhou | 了 | |
| Shantou | 了 | |
| Johor Bahru (Teochew) | 了 | |
| Southern Pinghua | Nanning (Tingzi) | 了 |
| Wu | Shanghai | 仔, 了 |
| Shanghai (Chongming) | 仔 | |
| Suzhou | 仔 | |
| Hangzhou | 得, 了 | |
| Ningbo | 仔 | |
| Wenzhou | 爻 | |
| Jinhua | 了 | |
Usage notes
- (perfective aspect particle): Most of the time, 了 is translated by a past tense. But it can also indicate that one action is completed before another.
- 你吃了以後叫我。／你吃了以后叫我。 ― Nǐ chī le yǐhòu jiào wǒ. ― Call me when you are done eating.
- (change of state particle): When used as the change of state particle, 了 can be translated by “now”, “already” or “not anymore”.
- 我會說中文了。／我会说中文了。 ― Wǒ huì shuō zhōngwén le. ― I can speak Chinese now. (I couldn't before.)
- 我喝醉了。 ― Wǒ hēzuì le. ― I'm drunk.
- 沒有紙了。／没有纸了。 ― Méiyǒu zhǐ le. ― There's no paper anymore.
- In a question, 了 is put before the particle 嗎／吗 (ma).
- (Northern Wu): In Shanghainese, this term is primarily used to indicate the present tense and secondarily the perfective aspect. The present tense sense is derived from Old Shanghainese 哉. For the usage difference between other perfectives, see 脫了#Usage notes.
Compounds
Derived terms from 了
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Pronunciation 2
Definitions
了
- to be finished; to be completed
- to end; to finish
- to understand; to comprehend
- 了解 ― liǎojiě ― to understand; to realize
- clear; plain; understandable
- bright; intelligent; smart
- (in negative sentences) completely; utterly; entirely
- Used with 不 (bù) or 得 (de) after verbs to express possibility.
- (Hokkien) to use up; to lose; to waste; to squander
Synonyms
Dialectal synonyms of 浪費 (“to waste; to squander”) [map]
| Variety | Location | Words edit |
|---|---|---|
| Classical Chinese | 靡 | |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 浪費, 靡費 | |
| Mandarin | Beijing | 糟蹋, 糟踐 |
| Taiwan | 浪費, 糟蹋 | |
| Harbin | 糟踐 | |
| Jinan | 糟蹋, 糟踐 | |
| Xi'an | 糟蹋 | |
| Wuhan | 糟蹋, 拋撒 | |
| Chengdu | 糟蹋, 拋撒 | |
| Yangzhou | 作蹋 | |
| Hefei | 糟蹋 | |
| Singapore | 浪費 | |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 嘥, 嘥撻 |
| Hong Kong | 嘥 | |
| Taishan | 嘥 | |
| Kaiping (Chikan) | 嘥 | |
| Dongguan | 嘥 | |
| Yangjiang | 嘥 | |
| Singapore (Guangfu) | 嘥 | |
| Gan | Nanchang | 糟蹋 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 浪撇 |
| Miaoli (N. Sixian) | 打爽 | |
| Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) | 打爽, 浪核 | |
| Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) | 打爽 | |
| Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) | 打爽 | |
| Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) | 打爽 | |
| Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) | 打爽 | |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 糟蹋 |
| Min Bei | Jian'ou | 糟蹋 |
| Min Dong | Fuzhou | 敗, 作蹋 |
| Min Nan | Xiamen | 拍損, 仄挩 |
| Quanzhou | 拍損, 仄挩 | |
| Zhangzhou | 拍損 | |
| Tainan | 拍損, 仄挩 | |
| Penang (Hokkien) | 損 | |
| Singapore (Hokkien) | 拍損, 了 | |
| Manila (Hokkien) | 仄挩, 了 | |
| Chaozhou | 噠浪 | |
| Jieyang | 噠浪 | |
| Singapore (Teochew) | 拍損 | |
| Wu | Suzhou | 糟蹋 |
| Wenzhou | 糟, 殘嘈 | |
| Xiang | Changsha | 糟蹋 |
| Shuangfeng | 糟蹋 | |
Compounds
Derived terms from 了
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Etymology 2
| For pronunciation and definitions of 了 – see 尞 (“ancient offering involving burning wood; etc.”). (This character, 了, is the second-round simplified form of 尞.) |
Notes:
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Etymology 3
| For pronunciation and definitions of 了 – see 潦. (This character, 了, is the second-round simplified form of 潦.) |
Notes:
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Japanese
Kanji
了
(common “Jōyō” kanji)
Readings
- Go-on: りょう (ryō, Jōyō)←れう (reu, historical)
- Kan-on: りょう (ryō, Jōyō)←れう (reu, historical)
- Kun: おえる (oeru, 了える)←をへる (woferu, historical); おわる (owaru, 了わる)←をはる (wofaru, historical); しまう (shimau, 了う)←しまふ (simafu, historical); ついに (tsuini, 了に)←つひに (tufini, historical)
Compounds
- 完了 (kanryō)
- 終了 (shūryō)
- 未了 (miryō)
- 了解 (ryōkai)
- 了承 (ryōshō)
Noun
了 • (ryō)
- end
- (art works): concluded
Proper noun
了 • (Satoru)
- a male given name
Korean
Hanja
了 (eumhun 마칠 료 (machil ryo), South Korea 마칠 요 (machil yo))
- Hanja form? of 료/요 (“finish, complete”).
Vietnamese
Han character
了: Hán Việt readings: liễu (
了: Nôm readings: lểu[1][2][4][5], lẽo[1][2][3], liễu[1][2][5], lẻo[1][2], léo[1][4], líu[1][4], lếu[3][4], sáu[1], lèo[1], tréo[2]
- This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text
{{rfdef}}.
References
- Nguyễn (2014).
- Nguyễn et al. (2009).
- Trần (2004).
- Hồ (1976).
- Taberd & Pigneau de Béhaine (1838).