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

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: liǎobùqǐ → liǎobuqǐ (toneless variant)
  - Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄠˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄑㄧˇ → ㄌㄧㄠˇ ˙ㄅㄨㄑㄧˇ (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

(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)