How to Write 了 (le/liǎo) — Meaning “particle for completed action or to understand”

Imagine a person lying down (the curved hook) after finishing a task, with a straight line (the horizontal stroke) marking the end. This visual trick helps you remember that 了 indicates a completed action.

First write a short horizontal stroke from left to right, then a curved hook that starts at the middle of the horizontal and curves down and left. A common mistake is making the hook too long or too straight—it should be a smooth, compact curve.

亅 is just a single curved hook stroke (a radical), while 了 has an additional horizontal stroke on top. 亅 is never used alone as a character; it only appears as a component in other characters, whereas 了 is a full character with its own meaning and usage.

了 is a grammar particle placed after a verb to show that an action has been completed, like in '走了' (zǒu le, 'left/gone'). It can also mean 'to understand' in words like '了解' (liǎo jiě) and appears in the expression '了不起' (liǎo bù qǐ, 'amazing').

Common words containing 了 include: 了不起 (liǎo bù qǐ) — amazing; 了解 (liǎo jiě) — to understand or to know about; 走了 (zǒu le) — Left / Gone.