Hanzi Grove
了
HSK 1 (exam 2025)HSK 1 (2021)Old HSK 1

了 (le) · particle for completed action or change

2 strokesRadical 亅Top–bottom

了 (le) means “particle for completed action or change”. It is made of 乛 + 亅 and has 2 strokes, and is an HSK 1 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).

Break 了 into its parts

What 了 is made of

Origin hint: A child swaddled in blanklets; compare 子 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

了 stroke order

了 stroke order diagram: 2 strokes, numbered in writing order
了 is written with 2 strokes. Follow the numbers: each circle marks where a stroke starts. See the stroke order rules.

Example sentences

我吃饭了。Wǒ chīfàn le.I've eaten.
你买了什么?Nǐ mǎi le shénme?What did you buy?

Words with 了

Also built with 乛

Quick facts

Pinyinle
Meaningparticle for completed action or change
Strokes2
Radical亅 (hook, #6)
PatternTop–bottom
HSKHSK 1 (exam 2025) · HSK 1 (2021) · Old HSK 1

Questions about 了

What does 了 mean?

了 (le) means “particle for completed action or change”.

How many strokes does 了 have?

了 has 2 strokes.

What is the radical of 了?

The radical of 了 is 亅 (jué, “hook”), Kangxi radical number 6.

What parts make up 了?

了 is made of 乛 (bent stroke) and 亅 (hook).

Which HSK level is 了?

了 is in HSK 1 (exam 2025) and HSK 1 (2021) and Old HSK 1.

Learn 了 with its group

It is part of HSK 1 (2021) · Group 19: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.

Open the group