<p>The main issues in these sentences is actually not concerned with 怕 but what 了 does with verbs like this.</p>
<p>The particle 了 has many uses and nuances. In the posted sentences, it makes it clear that the writer is referring to the result implied by the verb.</p>
<p>Chinese tends to be more exacting than English in separating process from result. This is particularly noticeable with verbs of “damaging. ”</p>
<p>For example:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>鞋擦破了她的脚。  Xié cāpòle tāde jiǎo. Her shoes chafe the skin on her feet.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Without 了, we would only be describing the process or action and not indicating the occurrence of any damage.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>燙傷了嘴</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This focuses on the result and means “get their mouths scalded.”  Without 了, it would mean only “apply scalding water to their mouths.”</p>
<p>This use of 了should not be mechanically applied to all such verbs but is still subject to semantic nuance and whether the action/process is most relevant or the result.</p>
<p>As for 怕, semantically it defaults to a future (or future in the past) bias so that what follows is interpreted as referring to a future possibility.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我怕他們說話聲音太吵，又怕參天古樹下合唱營火歌太興奮，謀殺了我寧靜的想像。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Because of the future bias of 怕, 聲音太吵 will be interpreted as “the sound would be too noisy” and 歌太興奮 would be interpreted as “the songs would be too frenzied.”</p>
<blockquote>
<p>謀殺了我寧靜的想</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The person is not afraid of what action the sound and songs would take, but what result they would have, which would be the death of the “quiet imaginings through their murder.”</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-20T19:22:03.317Z
2024-11-20T19:22:03.317Z
Vegawatcher
<p>根据 <a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%BA%86/341748?fr=ge_ala" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%BA%86/341748?fr=ge_ala</a> 的说法，<code>了</code> <strong>通常</strong>有2个用途：第一个是<code>可以表示完成的意思</code>， 第二个是<code>用作语气助词使用</code>。根据语境，在不同的句子用作不同的意思(或表达不同的含义)。</p>
<h2>表示完成方面的意思</h2>
<p><strong>“了”最常用于动词或形容词后，表示完成。也有了结，结束的意思；</strong>(引用上面<code>了</code>的<a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%BA%86/341748?fr=ge_ala" rel="nofollow noreferrer">百科链接</a>的说法)</p>
<p>关于表示<code>完成。也有了结，结束的意思</code>等相关例子的解释可以参考下面这个链接:</p>
<p><a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/59259/36261">https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/59259/36261</a></p>
<h2>作为语气助词使用</h2>
<p>“了”为象形字，一说象形兼会意。其本义不详，<strong>现今又作为语助词用</strong>，其本义便更加逐步晦而不明。(引用上面<code>了</code>的<a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%BA%86/341748?fr=ge_ala" rel="nofollow noreferrer">百科链接</a>的说法)</p>
<h2>关于原问题</h2>
<p>在 <code>求快而燙傷了嘴</code> 和 <code>謀殺了我寧靜的想像</code> 中，这里的<code>了</code>用作语气助词，这里的<code>了</code>可以去掉，而保持句子意思不变。</p>
<p>其他关于<code>了</code>作<code>语气助词</code>的例子解释可以看我的其他答案。</p>
<p><a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/59237/36261">https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/59237/36261</a></p>
<p><a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/59268/36261">https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/59268/36261</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-19T03:14:21.330Z
2024-11-19T03:14:21.330Z
Tom
<p>怕: be afraid, fear</p>
<blockquote>
<p>you fear something might happen</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Exactly, they have not burned their lips yet!</p>
<p>Not sure how you are relating 怕 and 了 here.</p>
<p>Here a little info about 了, given here a few years ago by some kind soul.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>了 有表示过去时，现在进行时，将来时的意思。<br />
如：我去了一趟超市。（过去）<br />
我睡觉了。（现在）<br />
我到了给你打电话。（将来）</p>
</blockquote>
<p>而燙傷了嘴: and (may) scald (their) mouths</p>
<p>這是為了怕旅行的人為了趕路，<br />
this is because (they, (农家人)) fear (that the) travellers, because (they are) in haste,</p>
<p>一時口渴急著喝茶，<br />
(and) at the same time (are) very thirsty, anxious to drink tea,<br />
求快而燙傷了嘴。<br />
require speed and (may) scald (their) mouths</p>
<p>I think, in bygone days, people were not is such a hurry. Tepid tea tastes terrific too!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-16T19:23:34.803Z
2024-11-16T19:23:34.803Z
Pedroski
<p>This is from a textbook in Taiwanese Mandarin (台灣華語).</p>
<blockquote>
<p>早年傳統農家會在茶水桶內，灑下一把稻殼，這是為了怕旅行的人為了趕路，一時口渴急著喝茶，求快而燙傷<strong>了</strong>嘴。當稻殼漂浮在茶面上時，旅人為了喝下一口香潤茶水，便需要耐心吹開，這樣就不用擔心會被熱茶燙著。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I don't get why there should be 了 after 燙傷. Maybe I'm not getting how 怕 works here, but I would think when you fear something might happen, that event hasn't happened, so the aspect should be expressed with 會 or something. Or does this 了 mean that you are already imagining the situation where the undesirable event has already happened? Would the sentence be still correct without that 了?</p>
<hr />
<p>Here is another example from another source.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我怕他們說話聲音太吵，又怕參天古樹下合唱營火歌太興奮，謀殺<strong>了</strong>我寧靜的想像。</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-19T02:16:42.170Z
Find a paper that might be helpful, [A Study on the Chinese Translation of English Existential Sentences](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324749708_A_Study_on_the_Chinese_Translation_of_English_Existential_Sentences).
zrsammy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-20T05:03:13.363Z
The linked paper analyzes examples of Chinese-English translation using -le structure. It may help your studying. I'm not familiar with this grammar, sorry I can not be more specific to your question TvT.
zrsammy
<particles>
Use of 了 with the verb 怕
# Use of 了 with the verb 怕

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-11-16)

This is from a textbook in Taiwanese Mandarin (台灣華語).

> 早年傳統農家會在茶水桶內，灑下一把稻殼，這是為了怕旅行的人為了趕路，一時口渴急著喝茶，求快而燙傷**了**嘴。當稻殼漂浮在茶面上時，旅人為了喝下一口香潤茶水，便需要耐心吹開，這樣就不用擔心會被熱茶燙著。

I don't get why there should be 了 after 燙傷. Maybe I'm not getting how 怕 works here, but I would think when you fear something might happen, that event hasn't happened, so the aspect should be expressed with 會 or something. Or does this 了 mean that you are already imagining the situation where the undesirable event has already happened? Would the sentence be still correct without that 了?

---

Here is another example from another source.

> 我怕他們說話聲音太吵，又怕參天古樹下合唱營火歌太興奮，謀殺**了**我寧靜的想像。

**Tags:** particles

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Find a paper that might be helpful, [A Study on the Chinese Translation of English Existential Sentences](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324749708_A_Study_on_the_Chinese_Translation_of_English_Existential_Sentences).  
> **username_1**: The linked paper analyzes examples of Chinese-English translation using -le structure. It may help your studying. I'm not familiar with this grammar, sorry I can not be more specific to your question TvT.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2024-11-20. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

The main issues in these sentences is actually not concerned with 怕 but what 了 does with verbs like this.

The particle 了 has many uses and nuances. In the posted sentences, it makes it clear that the writer is referring to the result implied by the verb.

Chinese tends to be more exacting than English in separating process from result. This is particularly noticeable with verbs of “damaging. ”

For example:

> 鞋擦破了她的脚。 Xié cāpòle tāde jiǎo. Her shoes chafe the skin on her feet.

Without 了, we would only be describing the process or action and not indicating the occurrence of any damage.

> 燙傷了嘴

This focuses on the result and means “get their mouths scalded.” Without 了, it would mean only “apply scalding water to their mouths.”

This use of 了should not be mechanically applied to all such verbs but is still subject to semantic nuance and whether the action/process is most relevant or the result.

As for 怕, semantically it defaults to a future (or future in the past) bias so that what follows is interpreted as referring to a future possibility.

> 我怕他們說話聲音太吵，又怕參天古樹下合唱營火歌太興奮，謀殺了我寧靜的想像。

Because of the future bias of 怕, 聲音太吵 will be interpreted as “the sound would be too noisy” and 歌太興奮 would be interpreted as “the songs would be too frenzied.”

> 謀殺了我寧靜的想

The person is not afraid of what action the sound and songs would take, but what result they would have, which would be the death of the “quiet imaginings through their murder.”


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2024-11-19. Score: 0

根据 <https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%BA%86/341748?fr=ge_ala> 的说法，`了` **通常**有2个用途：第一个是`可以表示完成的意思`， 第二个是`用作语气助词使用`。根据语境，在不同的句子用作不同的意思(或表达不同的含义)。

## 表示完成方面的意思

**“了”最常用于动词或形容词后，表示完成。也有了结，结束的意思；**(引用上面`了`的[百科链接](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%BA%86/341748?fr=ge_ala)的说法)

关于表示`完成。也有了结，结束的意思`等相关例子的解释可以参考下面这个链接:

<https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/59259/36261>

## 作为语气助词使用

“了”为象形字，一说象形兼会意。其本义不详，**现今又作为语助词用**，其本义便更加逐步晦而不明。(引用上面`了`的[百科链接](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%BA%86/341748?fr=ge_ala)的说法)

## 关于原问题

在 `求快而燙傷了嘴` 和 `謀殺了我寧靜的想像` 中，这里的`了`用作语气助词，这里的`了`可以去掉，而保持句子意思不变。

其他关于`了`作`语气助词`的例子解释可以看我的其他答案。

<https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/59237/36261>

<https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/59268/36261>


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2024-11-16. Score: 0

怕: be afraid, fear

> you fear something might happen

Exactly, they have not burned their lips yet!

Not sure how you are relating 怕 and 了 here.

Here a little info about 了, given here a few years ago by some kind soul.

> 了 有表示过去时，现在进行时，将来时的意思。  
> 如：我去了一趟超市。（过去）  
> 我睡觉了。（现在）  
> 我到了给你打电话。（将来）

而燙傷了嘴: and (may) scald (their) mouths

這是為了怕旅行的人為了趕路，  
this is because (they, (农家人)) fear (that the) travellers, because (they are) in haste,

一時口渴急著喝茶，  
(and) at the same time (are) very thirsty, anxious to drink tea,  
求快而燙傷了嘴。  
require speed and (may) scald (their) mouths

I think, in bygone days, people were not is such a hurry. Tepid tea tastes terrific too!


---

