This 了了 liǎo is not the 了了 le you already know — same character, totally different job. Here it means “able to happen” or “won’t happen,” and it only ever shows up after 得得 de or 不不 bù.
1 What Is V + 得得 de / 不不 bù + 了了 liǎo?
In 可能補語可能补语 kěnéng bǔyǔ 1, 得得 de / 不不 bù always sat between a verb and a real result or direction complement — 聽听 tīng得懂得懂 dé dǒng, 走走 zǒu不動不动 bu dòng. Here, 了了 liǎo itself is the complement — it doesn’t attach to any other result. It just means the action can, or can’t, actually take place. That could be because of time, physical limits, or plain willpower.
| 了了 le | 了了 liǎo |
|---|
| Tone | neutral tone | third tone (liǎo) |
| Job | sentence-final / completed-action particle | potential complement — “can / can’t manage to” |
| Position | end of sentence, after the verb or object | directly after 得得 de / 不不 bù |
| Example | 我去了我去了 — I went | 我去不了我去不了 — I can’t go |
這件事，我一個人做不了这件事，我一个人做不了
I can’t manage this on my own.
這麼重的箱子，你一個人搬得了嗎？这么重的箱子，你一个人搬得了嗎？
Such a heavy box — can you manage to carry it by yourself?
2 Plans, Trips & Attendance
The most common everyday use: something was supposed to happen, but circumstances get in the way — weather, timing, or getting sick.
今天下雨，我們去不了海邊了今天下雨，我们去不了海边了
It’s raining today, so we can’t go to the beach after all.
飛機五點起飛，你六點才到，來不了了吧？飞机五点起飞，你六点才到，来不了了吧？
The flight takes off at five, and you won’t arrive until six — you’re not going to make it, right?
路上塞車塞得很嚴重，恐怕趕不了會議了路上塞车塞得很严重，恐怕赶不了会议了
Traffic is really bad — I’m afraid I won’t make it to the meeting in time.
我病了，明天上不了課我病了，明天上不了课
I’m sick, so I won’t be able to go to class tomorrow.
Notice the two different 了了 in one sentence: 病了病了 bìng le (“got sick” — the ordinary particle) and 不了不了 bù liǎo (“can’t” — the potential complement).
3 Capacity & Tolerance
The same pattern also covers physical or emotional limits — how much you can eat, put up with, forget, or recover from.
這道菜太辣了，我吃不了这道菜太辣了，我吃不了
This dish is too spicy — I can’t handle eating it.
天天加班，他真的受不了了天天加班，他真的受不了了
Working overtime every single day, he really can’t take it anymore.
那件事對他來說太重要了，他一輩子都忘不了那件事对他来说太重要了，他一辈子都忘不了
That mattered too much to him — he’ll never be able to forget it his whole life.
傷口這麼深，恐怕一時半刻好不了伤口这么深，恐怕一时半刻好不了
The wound is so deep, it probably won’t heal any time soon.
4 More V + 得得 de / 不不 bù + V
These use the everyday 得得 de / 不不 bù pattern from Potential Complement 1 — not the special 了了 liǎo suffix above — but the complement verbs carry their own extended meanings worth knowing.
1. 下下 xià — Fitting / Capacity
我家很小，只住得下兩個人我家很小，只住得下两个人
My house is small — it only fits two people.
他的包包裝不下5本書他的包包装不下5本书
His bag can’t fit 5 books.
爸爸吃得下3碗飯爸爸吃得下3碗饭
Dad can eat 3 bowls of rice.
這沙發坐不下5個人，你坐地上吧！这沙发坐不下5个人，你坐地上吧！
This sofa can’t fit 5 people — sit on the floor!
2. 起起 qǐ — Can / Can’t Afford
我吃得起龍蝦我吃得起龙虾
I can afford to eat lobster.
他讀不起哈佛大學他读不起哈佛大学
He couldn’t afford to go to Harvard.
他買得起鄉下的房子，但是買不起城市的房子他买得起乡下的房子，但是买不起城市的房子
He can afford a house in the countryside, but he can’t afford one in the city.
很多台灣人養不起孩子很多台湾人养不起孩子
Many Taiwanese people can’t afford to raise children.
看得起看得起 / 對得起对得起 — Beyond Money
起起 qǐ started out meaning “afford,” but it’s stretched to cover respect and fairness too: 看得起看得起 kàndeqǐ / 看不起看不起 kànbùqǐ means to respect / look down on someone, and 對得起对得起 duìdeqǐ means to be worthy of someone, to not have let them down.
我看不起不努力的人我看不起不努力的人
I look down on people who don’t work hard.
你睡朋友的男朋友，這樣對得起你朋友嗎？你睡朋友的男朋友，这样对得起你朋友吗？
You slept with your friend’s boyfriend — do you think you’re treating your friend fairly?
5 Common Mistake
Learners often reach for 不不 bù + V + 了了 le when they actually mean “can’t” — but that sentence says something completely different.
❌
我不去了，因為工作太多我不去了，因为工作太多
✅
我去不了，因為工作太多我去不了，因为工作太多
我不去了我不去了 wǒ bú qù le means “I’ve decided not to go after all” — a change of plan, nothing stopping you. To say you’re unable to go because of a real obstacle, use the potential complement: 我去不了我去不了 wǒ qù bu liǎo.
6 Practice
Translate each sentence into Chinese, then tap the card to check your answer.
01It’s raining hard — we can’t go to the night market tonight.
今天雨下得很大，我們今晚去不了夜市了今天雨下得很大，我们今晚去不了夜市了
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02The plane leaves in ten minutes — we definitely won’t make it in time!
飛機十分鐘後就要起飛了，我們一定趕不了了！飞机十分钟后就要起飞了，我们一定赶不了了！
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03He has a fever, so he can’t go to work tomorrow.
他發燒了，明天上不了班他发烧了，明天上不了班
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04This car can only fit four people.
這輛車只坐得下四個人这辆车只坐得下四个人
This is the everyday 得得 de pattern from PC1’s 下下 xià section, not the special 了了 liǎo suffix.
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05This dish is too spicy — I can’t handle eating it.
這道菜太辣了，我吃不了这道菜太辣了，我吃不了
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06Working overtime every day, he really can’t take it anymore.
天天加班，他真的受不了了天天加班，他真的受不了了
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07That summer trip was too special — I’ll never forget it my whole life.
那次暑假旅行太特別了，我一輩子都忘不了那次暑假旅行太特别了，我一辈子都忘不了
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08I can’t afford an iPhone this expensive.
我買不起這麼貴的iPhone我买不起这么贵的iPhone
This is the everyday 得得 de pattern from PC1’s 起起 qǐ section, not the special 了了 liǎo suffix.
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09I’ve decided not to go to the party tonight — I’m too tired.
我今晚不去派對了我今晚不去派对了
Note: this is a change of plan (不不 bù + V + 了了 le), not the potential complement — see #10.
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10I have too much work — I really can’t make it to the party tonight.
工作太多了，我今晚真的去不了派對工作太多了，我今晚真的去不了派對
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