Learning Chinese - Pronunciation of 了 -

> Learning Chinese > Speaking and Listening
Pronunciation of 了
Home New Posts

Login: Pass: Log in or register for standard view and full access.








bones -

Hi,

I would like to ask when do we pronounce 了 as 'le' and 'liao(3)'?

I know that in certain phrases such as 了解 , we pronounce it as liao(3). However in phrases
such as:

我回来了
他闯了大祸

Do we pronounce it as le or liao(3)?



Pleco Software Learn Chinese with our Dictionaries for Palm and Pocket PC.
Learn Chinese in China Learn to speak Chinese 1MonthChinese.com -Mandarin School in China.
Chinese Textbooks Wide range, cheap, varied languages. Also Chinese cartoons, toys, gifts.
Study Chinese in Beijing Affordable Mandarin language courses at BLCU with ChinaUnipath.com.
HNHSoft Dictionary Learn Chinese on Smartphone and PDA with real person's voice.
XueXueXue IQChinese Get beyond the plateau.Take your Mandarin to a new level.
Chinese in Lijiang Short term Chinese study in a beautiful town with a focus on daily life.
MandarinTube Chinese Access to current everyday Chinese language and culture, 24/7.
Learn Chinese Homestay Chinese course, cultural activities & volunteer events in China.
Learn Chinese Online 1-on-1 instant tutoring, diverse courses, native teachers. FREE trial now!
Nihao Chinese Progam Free one-on-one Chinese lesson. Win 5-years of free lessons now!


About Ads (and how to hide them) -- Your message here









gougou -

In the two sentences you gave, it is pronounced as le. Whenever it functions as grammatical
particle, it is pronounced that way.

liao3 is only used when used as a part of a word (often meaning to understand or to end). You will
learn these as you go along, I guess. The complement (such as in 办得了）is also pronounced
this way.










againstwind -

You just need to know when 了 is pronounced as 'liao3'

1) as a verb, meaning 'to finish; to complete'
e.g.
a.事情了啦。
b.案子了了。 （the 2nd 了 is le）
c.这件事还没了。

2) used as the complement of actions (动补式/动结式)after 不 and 得, usually expressing
estimates.
e.g.
a.我去不了中国。
b.假不了！她就是那个贼！
c.甲：你只用了3分钟煮饭，这饭熟得了吗？(the 1st is 'le')
乙：熟得了，没问题！
d.甲：你干得了这些活儿吗？
乙：可能干不了，太多啦！

3） 了不得/不得了
e.g.
a. 你知道吗？那家饭馆的鱼香肉丝好吃得不得了！
b. 了不得啦！宿舍失火了！


just remember above situations. or, 了 should be 'le'.










gougou -



Quote:

2) after 不 and 得

That might be a bit misleading, think of sentences such as 看一下就晓得了 or
不了，不了！ It‘s pronounced le in both, or isn't it?










zhang laoshi -

1. Liao is actually the original (or official) pronunciation for 了.
2. Pronounce "liao" when it is a verb case or expression, e.g. 了解, 明了, 了结; 受不了,
忘不了, 不了了之, etc
3.When 了is used at the end of a sentence or immediately after a verb (like the two sentences you
quoted), it is used as a verb suffix or sentence suffix, so the weak form "le" should be used.










bones -

Thanks to all who replied. I really appreciate it.

(Quote from gougou)
That might be a bit misleading, think of sentences such as 看一下就晓得了 or
不了，不了！ It‘s pronounced le in both, or isn't it?

(Quote from zhang laoshi)
Pronounce "liao" when it is a verb case or expression, e.g. 了解, 明了, 了结; 受不了,
忘不了, 不了了之, etc

Another question:
Does that mean that I should pronounce '不了，不了' as le and 受不了 as liao3? That's
confusing...












All times are GMT +8. The time now is 06:27 PM.














Learn Chinese, Learn mandarin, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing,