了不起

Chinese

		to know; to understand; (modal particle intensifying preceding clause) to know; to understand; (modal particle intensifying preceding clause); (completed action marker)	cannot afford to ...; do not wish to ...
trad. (了不起)		了	不起
simp. #(了不起)		了	不起

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): liǎobùqǐ

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄧㄠˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄑㄧˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): liu⁵ bat¹ hei²

• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): liáu-put-hí
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): liáu-put-khí

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)
    • Hanyu Pinyin: liǎobùqǐ → liǎobuqǐ (toneless variant)
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄠˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄑㄧˇ → ㄌㄧㄠˇ ˙ㄅㄨ ㄑㄧˇ (toneless variant)
    • Tongyong Pinyin: liǎobůcǐ
    • Wade–Giles: liao³-pu⁵-chʻi³
    • Yale: lyǎu-bu-chǐ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: leaubuchii
    • Palladius: ляобуци (ljaobuci)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /li̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/ → /li̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴ b̥u⁴ t͡ɕʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: liu⁵ bat¹ hei²
    • Yale: líuh bāt héi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: liu⁵ bat⁷ hei²
    • Guangdong Romanization: liu⁵ bed¹ héi²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /liːu̯¹³ pɐt̚⁵ hei̯³⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: liáu-put-hí
    • Hakka Romanization System: liau^ˋ bud^ˋ hi^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: liau³ bud⁵ hi³
    • Sinological IPA: /li̯au̯³¹ put̚² hi³¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: liáu-put-khí
    • Tâi-lô: liáu-put-khí
    • Phofsit Daibuun: liaw'putqie
    • IPA (Xiamen): /liau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ put̚³²⁻⁴ kʰi⁵³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /liau⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ put̚⁵⁻²⁴ kʰi⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /liau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ put̚³²⁻⁵ kʰi⁵³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /liau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ put̚³²⁻⁴ kʰi⁵³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /liau⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ put̚³²⁻⁴ kʰi⁴¹/

Adjective

了不起

1. (colloquial) amazing; terrific; extraordinary

   他跑完了馬拉松，真是了不起！ [MSC, trad.]
   他跑完了马拉松，真是了不起！ [MSC, simp.]

   Tā pǎo wánle mǎlāsōng, zhēnshì liǎobùqǐ! [Pinyin]

   He finished the marathon - how extraordinary was that!

Synonyms

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• 不得了 (bùdéliǎo) (colloquial)
• 了不得 (colloquial)
• 了勿起 (Wu)
• 佼佼 (jiǎojiǎo) (literary)
• 俊偉／俊伟 (jùnwěi) (literary)
• 偉大／伟大 (wěidà)
• 傑出／杰出 (jiéchū)
• 傲人 (àorén) (nowadays especially of breasts, body curve)
• 優異／优异 (yōuyì)
• 優秀／优秀 (yōuxiù)
• 優越／优越 (yōuyuè)
• 出挑 (chhut-thio) (Quanzhou Hokkien)
• 出擢 (Hokkien)
• 出眾／出众 (chūzhòng)
• 出腳／出脚 (Hokkien)
• 出色 (chūsè)
• 勢面／势面 (Hokkien)
• 勿得了 (Wu)
• 卓然 (zhuórán) (literary)
• 卓犖／卓荦 (zhuóluò) (literary)
• 卓異／卓异 (zhuóyì) (literary)
• 卓著 (zhuózhù)
• 卓越 (zhuóyuè)
• 厲害／厉害 (lìhài) (informal)
• 咧斗 (Zhangzhou Hokkien)
• 咧斗 (Zhangzhou Hokkien)
• 好極了／好极了 (hǎo jíle)
• 尤異／尤异 (yóuyì) (literary)
• 崢嶸／峥嵘 (zhēngróng)
• 彰顯／彰显 (zhāngxiǎn)
• 惡實／恶实 (o⁵ shr⁶) (Xiang, used as a complement)
• 打得 (Hakka)
• 挺 (tǐng)
• 斐然 (fěirán)
• 棒 (bàng) (colloquial)
• 標青／标青 (biu¹ ceng¹) (Cantonese, Teochew)
• 漂亮
• 炳 (bǐng) (literary)
• 牛 (niú) (Mandarin, slang)
• 牛鬼 (Guilin Mandarin)
• 特出 (tèchū)
• 特異／特异 (tèyì)
• 犀利 (xīlì) (originally Cantonese, sometimes Mandarin)
• 皦皦 (jiǎojiǎo) (literary)
• 看家 (kānjiā) (attributive, of skill, ability, etc.)
• 穩／稳 (wěn) (slang, neologism)
• 突出 (tūchū)
• 英英 (yīngyīng) (literary)
• 蓋帽／盖帽 (gàimào) (slang)
• 表表 (biǎobiǎo) (literary)
• 超凡 (chāofán)
• 超卓 (chāozhuó) (literary)
• 超常 (chāocháng)
• 超拔 (chāobá) (literary)
• 超絕／超绝 (chāojué)
• 非凡 (fēifán)
• 響噹噹／响当当 (xiǎngdāngdāng)
• 顯著／显著 (xiǎnzhù)
• 高強／高强 (gāoqiáng)