<p>No one is sure how it came into being, but it did appear in classic text.</p>
<p>First let's talk about <code>了得</code>. <code>得</code> simply means &quot;<strong>to get</strong>&quot;. <code>了</code> could have several meanings, notably:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>To learn, to know</strong>, as in <code>了解</code>.</li>
<li><strong>To finish, to give up</strong>, as in <code>了却</code>.</li>
</ul>
<p>Both these two meanings are seen in classic usage of <code>了得</code>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>宋[1] 《朱子语类》卷八：“大凡学者，无有径截一路，可以教他了得。”—— For anyone who is pursuing knowledge, there is no shortcut, that could teach him to learn.</p>
<p>宋 苏轼 《与王定国书》：“某自謫居以来，可了得易传九卷，论语五卷。”—— I've finished 9 chapters of 易传 and 5 chapters of 论语 since I've been demoted.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But we also have <code>了得</code> that means &quot;<strong>extraordinary, remarkable, capable</strong>&quot; in classical text:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>唐[2] 李山甫 《游侠儿》诗：“ 荆轲只为闲言语，不与燕丹了得人。”—— It's because of fear of rumors that 荆轲 did what he did[3], not because 燕丹 is a remarkable personality.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So <code>了得</code> is quite an ancient word. I couldn't find the origin of the last meaning, but from the first two meanings, you have someone who <em>learns</em>, and you have someone who <em>gets things done</em>, isn't that <em>remarkable</em>?</p>
<p><code>了得</code> also exists in <code>这还了得</code> as a negative remark on something bad, like saying &quot;How is this for gratitude&quot;, which means no gratitude at all:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>《红楼梦》第五十回：“这还了得！他（画图）竟比盖这园子还费工夫了。”——How <strong>unbelievable</strong>! It takes more time painting the garden than actually building it.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><sub>[1] Song dynasty, 960 - 1279 A.D.</sub></p>
<p><sub>[2] Tang dynasty, 618 - 907 A.D.</sub></p>
<p><sub>[3] He tried to assassinate 秦始皇, the first emperor of Qin, but failed and was killed.</sub></p>
<hr />
<p><code>了不得</code> is kind of a negative form of <code>了得</code>. It is also quite old. Here are also some usage examples:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Indicates that something bad is happening</p>
<blockquote>
<p>宋 庄绰 《鸡肋编》：“ 徐与同官王昌俱访大节，忽言病来。又曰：‘了不得！了不得！且救我。’遂倒仆。”—— This gentleman Xu suddenly caught sick, saying &quot;<strong>My goodness!</strong> My goodness! Help me&quot;, then he fell flat.</p>
</blockquote>
</li>
<li><p>Indicates abundance in quantity</p>
<blockquote>
<p>《红楼梦》第九三回：“宝玉喜欢的了不得。” ——宝玉 likes <strong>very much</strong>.</p>
</blockquote>
</li>
</ul>
<p>As a negative form, <code>了不得</code> was mostly used for bad things. But as time goes by, the boundary seems to have been blurred a bit. <code>了不得</code> seems to mean <code>了不起</code> in some cases.</p>
<hr />
<p>References from website 汉典:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.zdic.net/c/6/4/8901.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">了得</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.zdic.net/c/6/13f/309511.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">了不得</a></li>
</ul>
<p>I'll refrain from the talking about these two because it's going to get muddy:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.zdic.net/c/7/77/120516.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">得了</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.zdic.net/c/d/142/310808.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">不得了</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-29T14:39:04.203Z
2014-11-29T14:57:48.780Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Wang Dingwei
<p>I stumpled upon this phrase, unfortunately the verbatim meaning was not explained, only how it is used in a sentence: </p>

<p>sentence pattern: 了不得了, sentence. 
(first 了 read as liao2, second 了 as le)</p>

<p>了不得了 expresses, that the following sentence is a serious matter.</p>

<p>for instance: </p>

<p>了不得了, 你儿子被蛇吃完了。</p>

<p>So, I understand the purpose of this phrase, but i can not understand what the very meaning (ethymology) of this phrase is. Is this phrase modern or classic Chinese, what is the verbatim translation of it?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-28T15:12:30.250Z
Some explanation on the usage itself (mp3 / Confucius Institute) http://adult.chinese.cn/article/2009-09/09/content_53122.htm
imrek
<translation><word>
What is the verbatim meaning of the phrase 了不得了?
# What is the verbatim meaning of the phrase 了不得了?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-11-28)

I stumpled upon this phrase, unfortunately the verbatim meaning was not explained, only how it is used in a sentence:

sentence pattern: 了不得了, sentence.
(first 了 read as liao2, second 了 as le)

了不得了 expresses, that the following sentence is a serious matter.

for instance:

了不得了, 你儿子被蛇吃完了。

So, I understand the purpose of this phrase, but i can not understand what the very meaning (ethymology) of this phrase is. Is this phrase modern or classic Chinese, what is the verbatim translation of it?

**Tags:** translation, word

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Some explanation on the usage itself (mp3 / Confucius Institute) http://adult.chinese.cn/article/2009-09/09/content_53122.htm  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-11-29. Score: 3

No one is sure how it came into being, but it did appear in classic text.

First let's talk about `了得`. `得` simply means "**to get**". `了` could have several meanings, notably:

* **To learn, to know**, as in `了解`.
* **To finish, to give up**, as in `了却`.

Both these two meanings are seen in classic usage of `了得`:

> 宋[1] 《朱子语类》卷八：“大凡学者，无有径截一路，可以教他了得。”—— For anyone who is pursuing knowledge, there is no shortcut, that could teach him to learn.
>
> 宋 苏轼 《与王定国书》：“某自謫居以来，可了得易传九卷，论语五卷。”—— I've finished 9 chapters of 易传 and 5 chapters of 论语 since I've been demoted.

But we also have `了得` that means "**extraordinary, remarkable, capable**" in classical text:

> 唐[2] 李山甫 《游侠儿》诗：“ 荆轲只为闲言语，不与燕丹了得人。”—— It's because of fear of rumors that 荆轲 did what he did[3], not because 燕丹 is a remarkable personality.

So `了得` is quite an ancient word. I couldn't find the origin of the last meaning, but from the first two meanings, you have someone who *learns*, and you have someone who *gets things done*, isn't that *remarkable*?

`了得` also exists in `这还了得` as a negative remark on something bad, like saying "How is this for gratitude", which means no gratitude at all:

> 《红楼梦》第五十回：“这还了得！他（画图）竟比盖这园子还费工夫了。”——How **unbelievable**! It takes more time painting the garden than actually building it.

[1] Song dynasty, 960 - 1279 A.D.

[2] Tang dynasty, 618 - 907 A.D.

[3] He tried to assassinate 秦始皇, the first emperor of Qin, but failed and was killed.

---

`了不得` is kind of a negative form of `了得`. It is also quite old. Here are also some usage examples:

* Indicates that something bad is happening

  > 宋 庄绰 《鸡肋编》：“ 徐与同官王昌俱访大节，忽言病来。又曰：‘了不得！了不得！且救我。’遂倒仆。”—— This gentleman Xu suddenly caught sick, saying "**My goodness!** My goodness! Help me", then he fell flat.
* Indicates abundance in quantity

  > 《红楼梦》第九三回：“宝玉喜欢的了不得。” ——宝玉 likes **very much**.

As a negative form, `了不得` was mostly used for bad things. But as time goes by, the boundary seems to have been blurred a bit. `了不得` seems to mean `了不起` in some cases.

---

References from website 汉典:

* [了得](http://www.zdic.net/c/6/4/8901.htm)
* [了不得](http://www.zdic.net/c/6/13f/309511.htm)

I'll refrain from the talking about these two because it's going to get muddy:

* [得了](http://www.zdic.net/c/7/77/120516.htm)
* [不得了](http://www.zdic.net/c/d/142/310808.htm)


---

