Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
瞭 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
瞭liàobright; clear-sighted; to understandv, 17 strokes, radical 目, rank #17433, Very Hard
瞭liàoto watch from a height or distanceunknown, 17 strokes, radical 目, rank #17433, Very Hard
瞭liàoto surveyunknown, 17 strokes, radical 目, rank #17433, Very Hard
瞭liǎobright; clear-sighted; to understandv, 17 strokes, radical 目, rank #17433, Very Hard
瞭liǎoto watch from a height or distanceunknown, 17 strokes, radical 目, rank #17433, Very Hard
瞭liǎoto surveyunknown, 17 strokes, radical 目, rank #17433, Very Hard
liǎo(liao3)
primary
 T3
  1. 1bright; clear-sighted; to understand
  2. 2to watch from a height or distance
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

瞭liǎo(liao3)

The character 瞭 (liǎo) conveys the meanings of clarity and understanding, often used to indicate a clear perception or comprehension of a situation. It is commonly used in contexts involving insight or knowledge, such as understanding a concept or surveying a landscape.

Strokes17Radical目Frequency#17433DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese philosophy, clarity of thought and perception is often associated with wisdom. The concept of surveying or understanding one's surroundings is crucial in Chinese culture, especially in practices like feng shui, which emphasize awareness of one's environment.

Memory Tip

Imagine a wise owl perched high on a branch, watching the world below with clear eyes. The radical 目 (eye) suggests vision, while the character's shape signifies a higher perspective, helping you remember that 瞭 means to see clearly or understand deeply.

Meanings of 瞭

liǎo(liao3)
primary
1bright; clear-sighted; to understand
2to watch from a height or distance
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 瞭

瞭Simplified
17Strokes
目Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 瞭

JasonAmy

Podcast: 瞭

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 瞭

Quick Contrast

了解 (liǎojiě) vs 明白 (míngbái) — use 瞭 when emphasizing clarity of perception, while 了解 focuses on understanding through information or experience.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 瞭 with similar-sounding words like 了 (le), which indicates completion. 瞭 is more formal and often appears in written texts rather than in casual conversation. It commonly collocates with terms like '了解' (liǎo jiě, to understand) or '清楚' (qīng chǔ, clear).

HSK Study Tips

Although 瞭 is not in the official HSK list, it is beneficial for learners at HSK 4 and above to recognize it due to its usage in more advanced texts. Focus on its components and relationships with words like '明了' (míng liǎo, to be clear) to enhance your vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 瞭 with 了 (le) due to their similar pronunciations. For example, saying '我瞭这个' instead of '我了这个' is incorrect; the correct usage for indicating understanding should be '我明白这个' (wǒ míng bái zhè ge).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 瞭

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 瞭 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 瞭

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 目 represents the meaning and 尞 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

eye

Semantic (meaning)目
+
Phonetic (sound)尞
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 瞭

Phonosemantic compound. 目 represents the meaning and 尞 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half目 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half尞 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayeye
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 瞭? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 瞭?

Decomposition of 瞭

IDS Structure⿰目尞
瞭Full Character
=
目mu4
left
尞liao4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 瞭?

How to say bright; clear-sighted; to understand in Chinese

“bright; clear-sighted; to understand” in Chinese is瞭liào

The character 瞭 (liǎo) conveys the meanings of clarity and understanding, often used to indicate a clear perception or comprehension of a situation. It is commonly used in contexts involving insight or knowledge, such as understanding a concept or surveying a landscape.

When to use 瞭

Be careful not to confuse 瞭 with similar-sounding words like 了 (le), which indicates completion. 瞭 is more formal and often appears in written texts rather than in casual conversation. It commonly collocates with terms like '了解' (liǎo jiě, to understand) or '清楚' (qīng chǔ, clear).

瞭 or something close to it

了解 (liǎojiě) vs 明白 (míngbái) — use 瞭 when emphasizing clarity of perception, while 了解 focuses on understanding through information or experience.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 瞭 with 了 (le) due to their similar pronunciations. For example, saying '我瞭这个' instead of '我了这个' is incorrect; the correct usage for indicating understanding should be '我明白这个' (wǒ míng bái zhè ge).

Write 瞭

瞭

Practice writing 瞭 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 瞭

Words Containing This Character4
瞭liǎoto survey
瞭望to keep a lookout
瞭望台observation tower瞭望臺
瞭望哨lookout post
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 瞭 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 瞭

You can use 瞭 in contexts like '我明白了' (wǒ míng bái le), meaning 'I understand clearly,' where it emphasizes clarity.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 瞭?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.