in order to ⇒ 为了买房子,他把车卖了。 Wèile mǎi fángzi, tā bǎ chē mài le. → He sold his car in order to buy a house. ⇒ 为了联系方便,他买了个手机。 Wèile liánxì fāngbiàn, tā mǎile gè shǒujī. → He bought a mobile phone to keep in contact more easily.
了得
terrible
了然
clear ⇒ 一目了然 yī mù liǎorán → in a flash of understanding
了结
put an end to ( pt , pp put )
了解
( 知道 ) understand ( pt , pp understood ) ⇒ 我了解他的为人。 Wǒ liǎojiě tā de wéirén. → I understand what kind of man he is. ⇒ 政府应推动对艾滋病的了解。 Zhèngfǔ yīng tuīdòng duì àizībìng de liǎojiě. → The government should promote understanding of AIDS.
末了
end
私了
settle ... privately
终了
end
罢了
⇒ 我的水平并不高,只是尽自己的努力罢了。 Wǒ de shuǐpíng bìng bù gāo, zhǐshì jìn zìjǐ de nǔlì bàle. → My average is not high, but I put in my best effort that's all there is to it.
( 表示惊讶 ) My God! ⇒ 不得了,着火了! Bùdéliǎo, zháohuǒ le! → My God! It's on fire. ⇒ 带孩子去酒吧,那可不得了。 Dài háizi qù jiǔbā, nà kě bùdéliǎo. → Taking children into bars is a shocking thing to do.
了不得
( 惊异 ) amazing ⇒ 能做这样的事情真是了不得。 Néng zuò zhèyàng de shìqing zhēnshi liǎobudé. → It's amazing to be able to do such a thing.
了不起
amazing
大不了
at the worst
一了百了
find a single solution ⇒ 事情错综复杂,很难找到一个一了百了的解决办法。 Shìqing cuòzōng fùzá, hěn nán zhǎodào yī gè yī liǎo bǎi liǎo de jiějué bànfǎ. → Matters are very complex. It's very difficult to find a single solution to all problems.
不了了之
leave unresolved ⇒ 由于找不到嫌疑人,这个案件只能不了了之了。 Yóuyú zhǎo bù dào xiányírén, zhège ànjiàn zhǐ néng bù liǎo liǎo zhī le. → Since the suspect hasn't been found, the case simply had to be left unresolved.
一目了然
be clear at a glance
了如指掌
know like the back of one's hand
直截了当
bluntly
好了疮疤忘了疼
make the same mistakes all over again
赔了夫人又折兵
pay a double penalty
English translation of '了'
了
(le)
助
(表示动作或变化已完成)
⇒ 他买了这本书。 (Tā mǎile zhè běn shū.) He's bought this book.
(表示对未来的假设已完成)
⇒ 下个月我考完了试回家。 (Xià gè yuè wǒ kǎowánle shì huíjiā.) I'll go home next month once my exams are over.
(在句尾,表示出现变化)
⇒ 下雨了。 (Xiàyǔ le.) It's raining.
(在句尾,表示提醒、劝告或催促)
⇒ 该回家了。 (Gāi huíjiā le.) It's time to go home.
⇒ 别喊了! (Bié hǎn le!) Stop shouting!
The usage of 了 (le) is one of the most complex parts of Chinese grammar, partly because it has two completelydifferent functions. It can indicate completion of an action, e.g. 他喝了三杯啤酒 (tā hēle sān bēi píjiǔ) (he drank three glasses of beer). Sometimes, when placed at the end of a clause ora sentence, it usually indicates a change of some kind, e.g. 天黑了 (tiān hēi le) (it's gone dark).
see also
了 (liǎo)
了
(liǎo)
动
(= 完毕) finish
⇒ 不了了之 (bù liǎo liǎo zhī) finish without any concrete results