了了

Chinese

		to know; to understand; (modal particle intensifying preceding clause) to know; to understand; (modal particle intensifying preceding clause); (completed action marker)	to know; to understand; (modal particle intensifying preceding clause) to know; to understand; (modal particle intensifying preceding clause); (completed action marker)
simp. and trad. (了了)		了	了

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): liǎoliǎo

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄧㄠˇ ㄌㄧㄠˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): liu⁵ liu⁵
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): liáu-liáu

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: liǎoliǎo [Phonetic: liáoliǎo]
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄠˇ ㄌㄧㄠˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: liǎoliǎo
    • Wade–Giles: liao³-liao³
    • Yale: lyǎu-lyǎu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: leauleau
    • Palladius: ляоляо (ljaoljao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /li̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ li̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: liu⁵ liu⁵
    • Yale: líuh líuh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: liu⁵ liu⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: liu⁵ liu⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /liːu̯¹³ liːu̯¹³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: liáu-liáu
    • Tâi-lô: liáu-liáu
    • Phofsit Daibuun: liawliao
    • IPA (Xiamen): /liau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ liau⁵³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /liau⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ liau⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /liau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ liau⁵³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /liau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ liau⁵³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /liau⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ liau⁴¹/

Verb

了了

1. (literary) to know clearly

Derived terms

• 不甚了了 (bùshènliǎoliǎo)
• 小時了了，大未必佳／小时了了，大未必佳

 

Adjective

了了

1. (literary) intelligent; clever

   • 韙曰：「小時了了，大未必佳。」文舉曰：「想君小時，必當了了。」 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     韪曰：「小时了了，大未必佳。」文举曰：「想君小时，必当了了。」 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: Liu Yiqing (editor), A New Account of the Tales of the World, 5^th century CE

     Wěi yuē: “Xiǎoshí liǎoliǎo, dà wèibì jiā.” Wénjǔ yuē: “Xiǎng jūn xiǎoshí, bì dāng liǎoliǎo.” [Pinyin]

     Chen Wei, dismissing the story, said, "Many a clever boy failed to grow into an intelligent man." Kong Wenju replied, "I reckon that you must have been quite clever a boy once."

2. (Southern Min) all

   這个袂使，彼个毋通，全你的意見了了。 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
   这个袂使，彼个毋通，全你的意见了了。 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

   Chit-ê bē-sái, hit-ê m̄-thang, choân lí ê ì-kiàn--liáu-liáu. [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

   (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Synonyms

• (intelligent):

• 乖巧 (guāiqiǎo)
• 伶俐 (línglì)
• 奢遮 (Wu, of a child)
• 宿鬼 (Hokkien)
• 性靈／性灵 (xìnglíng) (literary)
• 敏慧 (mǐnhuì)
• 明慧 (mínghuì)
• 明智 (míngzhì)
• 機敏／机敏 (jīmǐn)
• 機智／机智 (jīzhì)
• 機穎／机颖 (literary)
• 機警／机警 (jījǐng)
• 機靈／机灵
• 活絡／活络 (Wu)
• 睿智 (ruìzhì)
• 穎異／颖异 (yǐngyì) (formal)
• 精濟／精济 (Hokkien, of a child)
• 精靈／精灵 (jīnglíng)
• 精齊／精齐 (Hokkien, of a child)
• 聰慧／聪慧 (cōnghuì)
• 聰敏／聪敏 (cōngmǐn)
• 聰明／聪明 (cōngmíng)
• 聰穎／聪颖 (cōngyǐng) (formal)
• 英明 (yīngmíng)
• 調皮／调皮 (tiáopí)
• 靈／灵 (líng)
• 靈光／灵光 (⁶lin-kuaon) (Wu)
• 鬼 (guǐ) (informal)

 

Adverb

了了

1. (Southern Min) exhausted; completely used up

   鳥鼠予貓仔掠了了矣。 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
   鸟鼠予猫仔掠了了矣。 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

   Niáu-chhí hō͘ niau-á lia̍h--liáu-liáu ah. [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

   The mouse was completely caught by the cat.

Derived terms

• 死了了