The Chinese word 恐怕 is often used to express a sense of regret, uncertainty, or pessimism. It can be translated to mean “afraid that” or “I’m afraid that”. For example, one might say “恐怕我迟到了” which means “I’m afraid that I’m late”. It can also be used to express a sense of apology or regret, such as “恐怕我不能来参加你的生日派对” which means “I’m afraid that I can’t come to your birthday party”. Overall, 恐怕 is a versatile phrase that can be used in a variety of contexts to express a sense of uncertainty or regret.
Translation
Adverb: I’m afraid that
Pronunciation
Example Sentences
| Chinese | Pinyin | Engish |
|---|---|---|
| 恐怕我不能去参加你的生日派对了 | kǒngpà wǒ bùnéng qù cānjiā nǐ de shēngrì pàiduì le | I’m afraid I won’t be able to attend your birthday party |
| 他生病了，恐怕不能来参加会议了 | tā shēngbìng le, kǒngpà bùnéng lái cānjiā huìyì le | He’s sick, so he probably won’t be able to come to the meeting |
| 我恐怕要晚一点到，因为交通拥堵 | wǒ kǒngpà yào wǎn yìdiǎn dào, yīnwèi jiāotōng yōngdǔ | I’m afraid I’ll be a little late because of traffic congestion |
| 恐怕这个问题不是那么容易解决 | kǒngpà zhège wèntí bùshì nàme róngyì jiějué | I’m afraid this problem isn’t so easy to solve |
| 他的中文水平不够高，恐怕听不懂这个演讲 | tā de zhōngwén shuǐpíng bùgòu gāo, kǒngpà tīng bù dǒng zhège yǎnjiǎng | His Chinese level isn’t high enough, so he’s probably not going to understand this speech |
HSK
恐怕 is part of HSK Level 4 in HSK 2.0. In the newer HSK 3.0 it is part of HSK Level 3.
Learning Card
