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Wiktionary

了

See also: 瞭 and 𠄏
了 U+4E86, 了
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-4E86
← 亅
[U+4E85] 		CJK Unified Ideographs 亇 →
[U+4E87]
了 U+F9BA, 了
CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-F9BA
← 惡
[U+F9B9] 		CJK Compatibility Ideographs 僚 →
[U+F9BB]

Translingual

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Stroke order
 
Stroke order
 

Han character

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了 (Kangxi radical 6, 亅+1, 2 strokes, cangjie input 弓弓 (NN), four-corner 17207, composition ⿱乛亅 or ⿱乛㇁)

Derived characters

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References

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  • Kangxi Dictionary: 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

Chinese

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trad. 了/瞭*
simp. 了
瞭 – sense “clear”

Glyph origin

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Historical forms of the character 了
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Small seal script
 
 
s10990
Transcribed ancient scripts
 
L16444
 
L16445
 
L16446
 
L16447
 
L16448
 
L16449
 
L16450
References:

Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation),
which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including:

  • Shuowen Jiezi (small seal),
  • Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions),
  • Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and
  • Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).
Characters in the same phonetic series (了) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
釕 *teːwʔ
了 *reːwʔ

According to the Shuowen Jiezi, a pictogram (象形) of a baby without arms. Compare with 子, where the arms are visible. The Shuowen defines 了 as "the crossing of lower legs".

In the Shuowen Jiezi Zhu, it is said that the pictogram instead depicts entangled legs (了戾).

Its relation with the meaning "to finish" is likely via sound loan, but an argument can be made about "entangled legs" → "tie"→ "finish"

Etymology 1

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Verb “to finish; to be completed” > perfective aspect particle (了₁, weakened form) > change-of-state modal particle (了₂). It eventually replaced classical 矣 (OC *ɢlɯʔ).

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.

Contrary to the suggestion in (Schuessler, 2007), this word is not related to Vietnamese rồi, due to the non-existent correspondence between any given phonemes. Thai แล้ว (lɛ́ɛo, “to be finished; already; then, afterwards”), Lao ແລ້ວ (lǣu, “to finish; to be completed; perfective particle”) are loans from Chinese.

Pronunciation 1

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Note: liǎo - in poetry, songs or Malaysian Mandarin.
Definitions
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了

  1. Used after a verb to indicate perfective aspect (action completion).
    我吃了一個蘋果。 [MSC, trad.]
    我吃了一个苹果。 [MSC, simp.]
    Wǒ chī le yī ge píngguǒ. [Pinyin]
    I ate an apple. / I have eaten an apple.
  2. 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.
  3. Used at the end of a sentence to inform the beginning of an action.
    我走了。  ―  Wǒ zǒu le.  ―  I'm leaving now.
  4. (contemporary Shanghainese) Used to indicate the present tense.
Synonyms
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Dialectal synonyms of 了 (“(perfective particle)”) [map]
Variety Location Words
Classical Chinese 矣1
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 了
Northeastern Mandarin Beijing 了
Taiwan 了
Harbin 了
Malaysia 了
Singapore 了
Jilu Mandarin Jinan 了
Jiaoliao Mandarin Yantai (Muping) 了
Central Plains Mandarin Luoyang 了
Wanrong 嘮
Xi'an 咧
Xuzhou 了
Lanyin Mandarin Yinchuan 了
Ürümqi 咧
Southwestern Mandarin Chengdu 了
Wuhan 了
Guiyang 了
Guilin 了
Liuzhou 了
Jianghuai Mandarin Nanjing 了
Yangzhou 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, Xiangzhou) 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
Northern Min Jian'ou 了
Eastern Min Fuzhou 了, 𡅏
Southern Min Penang (Hokkien) 了
Singapore (Hokkien) 了
Manila (Hokkien) 了, 囉
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
Hangzhou (Yuhang) 得, 了
Ningbo 仔
Wenzhou 爻
Jinhua 了
Usage notes
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  • (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。 [MSC, trad.]
    你吃了以后叫我。 [MSC, simp.]
    Nǐ chī le yǐhòu jiào wǒ. [Pinyin]
    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.
  • (Malaysian Mandarin, Singaporean Mandarin): 了 (le) is often colloquially pronounced as 了 (liǎo) in all instances.
    你打掃了再幫我煮飯。 [Malaysian Mandarin, trad.]
    你打扫了再帮我煮饭。 [Malaysian Mandarin, simp.]
    Nǐ dǎsǎo liǎo zài bāng wǒ zhǔfàn. [Pinyin]
    Help me cook after you're done cleaning up.
Descendants
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  • → English: already, liao (Singapore English) (semantic loan)
Compounds
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Pronunciation 2

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Rime
Character 了
Reading # 1/1
Initial (聲) 來 (37)
Final (韻) 蕭 (93)
Tone (調) Rising (X)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) IV
Fanqie 盧鳥切
Baxter lewX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/leuX/
Pan
Wuyun 		/leuX/
Shao
Rongfen 		/leuX/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/lɛwX/
Li
Rong 		/leuX/
Wang
Li 		/lieuX/
Bernard
Karlgren 		/lieuX/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		liǎo
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		liu5
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 了
Reading # 1/1
No. 8067
Phonetic
component 		了
Rime
group 		宵
Rime
subdivision 		2
Corresponding
MC rime 		了
Old
Chinese 		/*reːwʔ/
Definitions
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了

  1. to be finished; to be completed
  2. to end; to finish
    終於了了一樁心事 [MSC, trad.]
    终于了了一桩心事 [MSC, simp.]
    zhōngyú liǎo le yī zhuāng xīnshì [Pinyin]
    (please add an English translation of this usage example)
    快啲了咗件事佢算 [Cantonese, trad. and simp.]
    faai3 di1 liu5 zo2 gin6 si6 keoi5 syun3 [Jyutping]
    (please add an English translation of this usage example)
  3. to understand; to comprehend
    了解  ―  liǎojiě  ―  to understand; to realize
  4. clear; plain; understandable
  5. bright; intelligent; smart
  6. (in negative sentences) completely; utterly; entirely
  7. Used with 不 (bù) or 得 (de) after verbs to express possibility.
  8. (Hokkien) to use up; to lose; to waste; to squander
Synonyms
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Dialectal synonyms of 浪費 (“to waste; to squander”) [map]
Variety Location Words
Classical Chinese 靡
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 浪費, 靡費
Northeastern Mandarin Beijing 糟蹋, 糟踐
Taiwan 浪費, 糟蹋
Harbin 糟踐
Singapore 浪費
Jilu Mandarin Jinan 糟蹋, 糟踐
Central Plains Mandarin Xi'an 糟蹋
Southwestern Mandarin Chengdu 糟蹋, 拋撒
Wuhan 糟蹋, 拋撒
Jianghuai Mandarin Yangzhou 作蹋
Hefei 糟蹋
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
Northern Min Jian'ou 糟蹋
Eastern Min Fuzhou 敗, 作蹋
Southern Min 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
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Etymology 2

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For pronunciation and definitions of 了 – see 尞 (“ancient offering involving burning wood; etc.”).
(This character is the second-round simplified form of 尞).
Notes:

Etymology 3

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For pronunciation and definitions of 了 – see 潦.
(This character is the second-round simplified form of 潦).
Notes:

Japanese

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Kanji

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了

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

  1. to end

Readings

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Compounds

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Noun

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了(りょう) • (ryō) 

  1. end
  2. (art works): concluded

Proper noun

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了(さとる) • (Satoru) 

  1. a male given name

Korean

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Hanja

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了 (eumhun 마칠 료 (machil ryo), word-initial (South Korea) 마칠 요 (machil yo))

  1. Hanja form? of 료/요 (“finish, complete”).

Vietnamese

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Han character

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了: Hán Việt readings: liễu (盧(lô)鳥(điểu)切(thiết))[1][2][3], kiết[3]
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]

  1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Nguyễn (2014).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Nguyễn et al. (2009).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Trần (2004).
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Hồ (1976).
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Taberd & Pigneau de Béhaine (1838).
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