了却

• Pinyin: liǎo què
• Hanzi breakdown: 了 = 子 simplified (finish/complete); 却 = 去 + 卩 (push away/withdraw — retreating from something, removing it)

Meaning

To fulfil; to settle; to lay to rest (a wish, worry, or burden). To bring something to its final resolution, especially a long-held desire or concern.

More literary and emotionally charged than 了结, often used in the context of fulfilling a lifelong wish or laying a burden to rest. Appears frequently in classical poetry and literary prose. Carries a sense of relief and completeness. Common phrases include 了却心愿 (fulfil a cherished wish) and 了却残生 (live out one's remaining years).

Examples

1. 年逾七旬的他终于回到阔别已久的故乡，了却了多年来魂牵梦萦的心愿。 Now in his seventies, he finally returned to the hometown he had long been away from, fulfilling a wish he had carried for years.
2. 她将毕生积蓄捐给家乡学校，了却了心中多年的夙愿。 She donated her life savings to her hometown school, finally fulfilling a long-cherished dream.
3. 完成这部回忆录，对他而言是了却了一桩埋藏心底数十年的宿愿。 Finishing this memoir was, for him, the final resolution of a wish he had kept buried in his heart for decades.

Usage Guide

Context: literary writing, personal milestones, emotional closure

Tone: reflective

Do Say

• 他亲眼见证了儿子的毕业典礼，总算了却了多年来最深的一桩心愿。(He personally witnessed his son's graduation ceremony, finally fulfilling his deepest long-held wish.)
• 晚年的她将所有心事一一了却，以平静的心态迎接生命最后的篇章。(In her later years, she resolved all her lingering concerns one by one, welcoming the final chapter of her life with a peaceful mind.)

Don't Say

• 将'了却'用于日常琐事 — 该词具有文学色彩，适合重大心愿或情感积累的事务，日常完成任务用'完成'或'处理好'

Origin & History

了 (to finish/to clear away) + 却 (to push away/to dismiss — clearing something from one's mind or life)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal