了 le liǎo liào

1. le particle completion of an action
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words 虚词 , Concept: Aspectual Particle 动态助词
   Notes: Traditional: 了; in this usage 了 is an aspectual particle 动态助词. Here 了 is placed after the verb and before its object to indicate that an action has been completed (Guoyu '了' le particle 2; Li Shaoqi, 2003, pp. 430-431; Ho, 2002, '了' 1). For example, 他似乎明白了点 'he seemed to understand something.' (Lao She, 2003, p. 218) In this example the verb is 明白 'understand' and the object is 点 '[a little] something.' 了 cannot be used for non-action verbs, such as 喜欢, 是, 像. If there are two verbs in series then 了 should be placed after the second verb. 了 is the third most frequent word in the Beijing Language Institute's 1985 frequency wordlist (Ho, 2002, '了').
2. liǎo verb to know / to understand
   Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
   Notes: Traditional: 了; in the sense of 明白 (Guoyu '了' liǎo v 1)
3. liǎo verb to understand / to know
   Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
   Notes: Traditional: 瞭; in the sense of 明白 or 清楚; as in 了解 (Guoyu '瞭' v 1)
4. liào verb to look afar from a high place
   Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
   Notes: Traditional: 瞭; in the sense of 远看 Guoyu '瞭' liào v 1)
5. le particle modal particle
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words 虚词 , Concept: Modal Particle 语气助词
   Notes: Traditional: 了; in this use 了 appears at the end of a sentence as a modal particle 语气助词. Use as a modal particle differs from use as an aspectual particle after a verb in that a modal particle indicates the completion of the action for the whole sentence. Sometimes a modal particle is omitted if the sentence contains an aspectual particle and the action of the sentence is simple. There are two common uses: 1. 了 may be used at the end of a sentence to indicate a newly emerged condition (Guoyu '了' le particle 1; Ho, 2002, '了' 2; Sun 2006, loc. 885). For example, 一切的路都封上了 'All the roads were closed.' (Lao She, 2003, p. 175) 2. 了 may be used at the end of a sentence to indicate a reminder, advice, or urging.
6. le particle particle used in certain fixed expressions
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words 虚词 , Concept: Particle 助词
   Notes: Traditional: 了; in this use 了 is used in a set of fixed expressions, including 太...了, ...极了, 对了, and 好了 (Ho, 2002, '了' 3; Li Shaoqi, 2003, p. 433). For example, 你帮几天忙好了 'Please help for a few days.' (Lao She, 2003, p. 176)
7. liǎo verb to complete
   Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
   Notes: Traditional: 了; in the sense of 结束 (Guoyu '了' liǎo v 2)
8. liǎo adverb completely
   Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
   Notes: Traditional: 了; in the sense of 完全 (Guoyu '了' liǎo adv 1)
9. liǎo adjective clever / intelligent
   Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
   Notes: Traditional: 了; in the sense of 聪明 or 慧黠 (Guoyu '了' liǎo adj)

Contained in

了解 、 不了 、 得了 、 为了 、 了不起 、 除了_以外 、 极了 、 不得了 、 算了 、 对了 、 除了 、 了如指掌 、 一目了然 、 大方广圆觉修多罗了义经 、 了别 、 了脱 、 明了 、 了知 、 了菴清欲 、 了菴清欲禅师语录 、 佛说了义般若波罗蜜经 、 吃得了 、 吃不了 、 了义 、 不了义 、 佛说长者女菴提遮师子吼了义经 、 长者女菴提遮师子吼了义经 、 相续解脱地波罗蜜了义经 、 相续解脱如来所作随顺处了义经 、 了本生死经 、 大佛顶如来密因修证了义诸菩萨万行首楞严经 、 律二十二明了论 、 大方广圆觉修多罗了义经略疏 、 成唯识论了义灯 、 了悟 、 了简 、 依了义不依不了义 、 不了义经 、 简单明了 、 了然 、 康熙来了 、 圆觉了义经 、 终了 、 狗改不了吃屎 、 自了汉 、 没了主意 、 了了分明 、 了知因缘 、 了悟人生 、 了悟心源 、 了悟真心

Texts that the word is most frequently mentioned in

Collection	Document Title	Occurrences
Sarvāstivādavinaya (Shi Song Lu) 《十誦律》	Scroll 5	154
Da Ban Niepan Jing Yi Ji 《大般涅槃經義記》	Scroll 8	151
Commentary on Nyāyamukha 《因明入正理論疏》	Scroll 1	89
Si Fen Lu Xingshi Chao Zi Chi Ji 《四分律行事鈔資持記》	Scroll 2	77
Dafang Guang Fo Huayan Jing Sui Shu Yan Yi Chao 《大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔》	Scroll 37	75
Hong Zhi Chan Shi Guang Lu 《宏智禪師廣錄》	Scroll 9	75
Huayan Jing Yi Hai Bai Men 《華嚴經義海百門》	Scroll 1	67
Commentary on the Yogācārabhūmiśāstra 《瑜伽論記》	Scroll 4	62
Mahāratnakūṭasūtra (The Great Treasures Collection Sūtra) 《大寶積經》	Scroll 31	61
Hong Zhi Chan Shi Guang Lu 《宏智禪師廣錄》	Scroll 5	58