<blockquote>
  <p>生命好像听得见摸得着了</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The sentence can be paraphrased as 生命好像<strong>可以被</strong>听得见、摸得着了. It can be translated to <em>it seems that now life might be heard and touched.</em> The reason why 了 is there is that originally we assume that life is not something that can be heard and touched, but in author's case he feels like he could be able to do so. 了 here denotes now the situation changed(unable -> able).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-26T10:17:57.113Z
2018-05-26T10:17:57.113Z
dan
<p>摸得着 = tangible
听得见 = audible</p>
<p>生命好像听得见摸得着了。=&gt; Life somehow becomes an entity (as being physical, realized)</p>
<hr />
<p>UPDATE as op edited question</p>
<p>You seems to be concerning very much about the character &quot;着&quot; and after reading your question more closely I start to get the point.</p>
<p>If I understand it correctly, there's a typo in your question, it should be &quot;摸得到&quot;, instead of &quot;摸得懂&quot;.</p>
<p>So to really answer your question, you can consider the character &quot;着&quot; as a <em>generic</em> result complement, which goes along with many verbs, while &quot;见&quot; and &quot;到&quot; are both more specific result complements, can go along with limited verbs but give move accurate descriptions.</p>
<p>Which means the following combination &quot;听得着&quot; &quot;听得见&quot; &quot;摸得着&quot; &quot;摸得到&quot; are all valid and correct expression.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-31T08:09:18.763Z
2022-09-05T05:38:41.993Z
2022-09-05T05:38:41.993Z
Li Wang
<p>最初的体验便是心跳加速，<br>
First (I) experience a speeding up of my heartbeat,<br>
仿佛有一只小锤不停地捶打你的喉咙。<br>
(it) seems there is a little hammer incessantly hammering in my throat.<br>
不吃饭时，<br>
when I'm not eating,<br>
这种感觉（not this 时)是轻悠悠的，<br>
This kind of feeling is slight,<br>
吃了饭，<br>
during meals,<br>
这个小锤便从喉咙升到头顶，<br>
this little hammer moves from my throat to the top of my head，<br>
产生轻微的震动，<br>
producing a slight vibration and<br>
震得头有些疼。<br>
causing a small headache.<br>
不知为什么，我觉得这是一种生命的体验。<br>
I don't know why, (but) I feel this is some kind of life experience.<br>
在这样的反应中，生命好像听得见摸得着了。<br>
During these moments,  life (itself) seems audible, palpable.</p>

<p>Why does Chinese use 了？I think it is mainly for emphasis.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-26T23:27:19.090Z
2018-05-26T23:27:19.090Z
Pedroski
<blockquote>
  <p>First look at <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Result_complement" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Result complement</a></p>
  
  <p><em>Result complements are a kind of verbal complement that appears very frequently in Chinese. Surprisingly enough, they're used to describe the result of a verb.</em> </p>
  
  <p><em>看 - 看见</em></p>
  
  <p><em>看 alone means 'to look'. 看见 includes the result - 'to see'</em></p>
  
  <p><em>听 - 听到</em> </p>
  
  <p><em>听 alone means 'to listen', but 听到 means 'to hear'</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Then look at potential particle '得'(can/ able to) and '不'(cannot/ unable to)</p>

<p><em>there are only two potential particles</em></p>

<ul>
<li><p>看见 = see</p></li>
<li><p>看得见 = can see; 看不见 = can't see</p></li>
<li><p>听到 = hear</p></li>
<li><p>听得到 = can hear; 听不到 = can't hear</p></li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
  <p>[subject] + [verb] + [potential particle] + [result complement]</p>
  
  <p>"我看得见, 听得到"  = "I can see and hear"</p>
</blockquote>

<p>~</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>[object]+ [verb] + [potential particle] + [result complement]</p>
  
  <p>"(object)是听得到摸得着了" = "(object) is hearable and touchable" = "(object) can be heard and touched"</p>
  
  <p><em>the final particle '了' indicates change of status, meaning 'object' <strong>has became</strong> hearable and touchable</em> </p>
</blockquote>

<p>Which means the object (life) felt "<strong>real</strong>" (has physical form and makes actual sound)</p>

<p><em>In "生命好像听得见摸得着了",  '生命' is most likely the object, because 'life' can't hear or touch</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-02T08:48:04.377Z
Thanks and yes I know they are result complements. But I don't understand what 摸得着 means here. 摸 is touch, and 着 is also touch, so why do they need complements? I feel simply use 摸 is enough, or if it needs a complement, it should be like 摸得懂, (touching it results in understanding) not 摸得着 which does not make sense in my opinion.
Blaszard
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-02T09:25:17.110Z
@Blaszard 摸= to touch, but it doesn't state if you actually 'make contact' with the object or not. You can reach out 'to touch 'something and not actually make contact ; 着 (make contact) as a complement indicate the result of 摸(to touch) = you 'touch and make contact' with the object
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-02T09:39:24.563Z
1. 伸手去摸兒子的頭 (reach out to touch his son's head); 2. 伸手一摸, 摸着兒子的頭 ( reach out to touch, and reached his son's head)  3. 摸着兒子的頭說... (caressing his son's head and say... ) ;
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-26T10:23:14.987Z
2018-05-26T21:37:31.307Z
2018-05-26T21:37:31.307Z
Tang Ho
<p>In the following sentence:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>最初的体验便是心跳加速，仿佛有一只小锤不停地捶打你的喉咙。不吃饭时，这种感觉时轻悠悠的，吃了饭，这个小锤便从喉咙升到头顶，产生轻微的震动，震得头有些疼。不知为什么，我觉得这是一种生命的体验。在这样的反应中，生命好像<strong>听得见摸得着了</strong>。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I think the bold part uses a degree particle, and there are two components concatenated without any conjugation.</p>

<p>So the sentence structure is</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>(听得见 + 摸得着) 了</p>
</blockquote>

<p>However, I then don't understand what it means. It looks like the sentence means "listening to it feels like seeing it, and... " but then "touching on it feels like touching on it..." which does not make sense.</p>

<p>Also I don't understand the last 了. Is it for meaning the change of a status, right?</p>

<p>So is my grammatical understanding correct? Then what does the bold part mean?</p>

<hr>

<h3>EDIT</h3>

<p>To clarify my point, I understand the verbs here are result complements. I also understand what 听得见 means here (the action 听 results in 见, which is  "listening to it results in seeing"). But 摸得着 then does not make sense, as 摸 and 着 seem to mean the same, and so it sounds like the action of touching results in touching...</p>

<p>At least if it is 摸得懂, I understand it. (as the verb before and after the complement means different)...</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-26T10:00:25.263Z
听得见摸得着 can be heard. can be felt, 得见, 得着 are
potential complements, see previous Q&A, e.g. https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/3056/whats-the-difference-between-%e4%ba%86-%e8%91%97-and-%e5%88%b0-when-used-as-verb-complements/3057#3057,
user6065
<grammar><meaning-in-context>
What does 听得见摸得着了 mean?
# What does 听得见摸得着了 mean?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-05-26)

In the following sentence:

> 最初的体验便是心跳加速，仿佛有一只小锤不停地捶打你的喉咙。不吃饭时，这种感觉时轻悠悠的，吃了饭，这个小锤便从喉咙升到头顶，产生轻微的震动，震得头有些疼。不知为什么，我觉得这是一种生命的体验。在这样的反应中，生命好像**听得见摸得着了**。

I think the bold part uses a degree particle, and there are two components concatenated without any conjugation.

So the sentence structure is

> (听得见 + 摸得着) 了

However, I then don't understand what it means. It looks like the sentence means "listening to it feels like seeing it, and... " but then "touching on it feels like touching on it..." which does not make sense.

Also I don't understand the last 了. Is it for meaning the change of a status, right?

So is my grammatical understanding correct? Then what does the bold part mean?

---

### EDIT

To clarify my point, I understand the verbs here are result complements. I also understand what 听得见 means here (the action 听 results in 见, which is "listening to it results in seeing"). But 摸得着 then does not make sense, as 摸 and 着 seem to mean the same, and so it sounds like the action of touching results in touching...

At least if it is 摸得懂, I understand it. (as the verb before and after the complement means different)...

**Tags:** grammar, meaning-in-context
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 听得见摸得着 can be heard. can be felt, 得见, 得着 are potential complements, see previous Q&A, e.g. https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/3056/whats-the-difference-between-%e4%ba%86-%e8%91%97-and-%e5%88%b0-when-used-as-verb-complements/3057#3057,  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-05-26. Score: 3

> 生命好像听得见摸得着了

The sentence can be paraphrased as 生命好像**可以被**听得见、摸得着了. It can be translated to *it seems that now life might be heard and touched.* The reason why 了 is there is that originally we assume that life is not something that can be heard and touched, but in author's case he feels like he could be able to do so. 了 here denotes now the situation changed(unable -> able).


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-08-31. Score: 3

摸得着 = tangible
听得见 = audible

生命好像听得见摸得着了。=> Life somehow becomes an entity (as being physical, realized)

---

UPDATE as op edited question

You seems to be concerning very much about the character "着" and after reading your question more closely I start to get the point.

If I understand it correctly, there's a typo in your question, it should be "摸得到", instead of "摸得懂".

So to really answer your question, you can consider the character "着" as a *generic* result complement, which goes along with many verbs, while "见" and "到" are both more specific result complements, can go along with limited verbs but give move accurate descriptions.

Which means the following combination "听得着" "听得见" "摸得着" "摸得到" are all valid and correct expression.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-05-26. Score: 1

最初的体验便是心跳加速，  
First (I) experience a speeding up of my heartbeat,  
仿佛有一只小锤不停地捶打你的喉咙。  
(it) seems there is a little hammer incessantly hammering in my throat.  
不吃饭时，  
when I'm not eating,  
这种感觉（not this 时)是轻悠悠的，  
This kind of feeling is slight,  
吃了饭，  
during meals,  
这个小锤便从喉咙升到头顶，  
this little hammer moves from my throat to the top of my head，  
产生轻微的震动，  
producing a slight vibration and  
震得头有些疼。  
causing a small headache.  
不知为什么，我觉得这是一种生命的体验。  
I don't know why, (but) I feel this is some kind of life experience.  
在这样的反应中，生命好像听得见摸得着了。  
During these moments, life (itself) seems audible, palpable.

Why does Chinese use 了？I think it is mainly for emphasis.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2018-05-26. Score: 0

> First look at [Result complement](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Result_complement)
>
> *Result complements are a kind of verbal complement that appears very frequently in Chinese. Surprisingly enough, they're used to describe the result of a verb.*
>
> *看 - 看见*
>
> *看 alone means 'to look'. 看见 includes the result - 'to see'*
>
> *听 - 听到*
>
> *听 alone means 'to listen', but 听到 means 'to hear'*

Then look at potential particle '得'(can/ able to) and '不'(cannot/ unable to)

*there are only two potential particles*

* 看见 = see
* 看得见 = can see; 看不见 = can't see
* 听到 = hear
* 听得到 = can hear; 听不到 = can't hear

> [subject] + [verb] + [potential particle] + [result complement]
>
> "我看得见, 听得到" = "I can see and hear"

~

> [object]+ [verb] + [potential particle] + [result complement]
>
> "(object)是听得到摸得着了" = "(object) is hearable and touchable" = "(object) can be heard and touched"
>
> *the final particle '了' indicates change of status, meaning 'object' **has became** hearable and touchable*

Which means the object (life) felt "**real**" (has physical form and makes actual sound)

*In "生命好像听得见摸得着了", '生命' is most likely the object, because 'life' can't hear or touch*

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks and yes I know they are result complements. But I don't understand what 摸得着 means here. 摸 is touch, and 着 is also touch, so why do they need complements? I feel simply use 摸 is enough, or if it needs a complement, it should be like 摸得懂, (touching it results in understanding) not 摸得着 which does not make sense in my opinion.  
> **username_5**: @Blaszard 摸= to touch, but it doesn't state if you actually 'make contact' with the object or not. You can reach out 'to touch 'something and not actually make contact ; 着 (make contact) as a complement indicate the result of 摸(to touch) = you 'touch and make contact' with the object  
> **username_5**: 1. 伸手去摸兒子的頭 (reach out to touch his son's head); 2. 伸手一摸, 摸着兒子的頭 ( reach out to touch, and reached his son's head)  3. 摸着兒子的頭說... (caressing his son's head and say... ) ;  

---

