Definitions
(particle)
(completed action marker); (modal particle indicating change of state)
(verb)
to finish; to achieve; to understand clearly
(verb)
potential complement (to a verb), indicating whether the action is possible
About
The character "了" originated from a truncated version of "子", where the simplified depiction conveyed the concept of something concluded, giving it the initial meaning of "to finish" or "to settle". Its present form is structurally minimal, consisting only of a horizontal hook and a vertical hook, with no additional compositional elements. Over time, its primary function shifted from a lexical verb to that of a grammatical particle, first solidifying as an aspect marker indicating completion of an action and later developing into a sentence-final particle used to denote a change of state or convey new information.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我吃了午饭。
我不去学校了。
天气变冷了。
他昨天去了北京。
她买了一件新衣服。
我了解这个问题。
我已经完成了作业。
他把杯子打破了。