了得

liǎodé

adjective #31,423

Meanings

1 exceptional
2 remarkable
3 (at end of rhetorical question) terrible; serious; out of hand

Characters

to finish; able to (resultative)

Examples

这个人武艺十分了得。

Zhège rén wǔyì shífēn liǎodé.

This person's martial arts skills are truly exceptional.

要是孩子掉下去，那还了得！

Yàoshi háizi diào xiàqù, nà hái liǎodé!

If the child fell down, that would be terrible!

他的厨艺真了得。

Tā de chúyì zhēn liǎodé.

His cooking skills are truly remarkable.

Tips

usage

Two opposite uses: (1) praise — 'remarkable, top-notch' (本事了得 'amazing skills'); (2) at the end of a rhetorical 'wouldn't that be ___!' question with 还 — 'wouldn't that be awful!' (那还了得!). Context disambiguates.

Stroke Order

了 le

得 dé