How common it is
恐怕 appears often in everyday Chinese, so it is worth practicing early and reviewing often.
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Pronunciation focus
Say kǒngpà slowly first, then repeat it in a short phrase. Listen for the tone shape.
Usage note
恐怕在日常对话中用来表达不确定或担心的情绪。
kǒngbù zài rìyān huàdú zhōng lái yòng lù qǐng bǎo kěnéng de qíngjīng.
恐怕 is used in daily conversations to express uncertainty or concern.
Context note
恐怕常用于表达说话者不确定或担心的情况，比如天气预报、健康状况等。
kǒngbù cháng yòng yú bǎo dá shuōhuà zhě bù kěnéngnéng huò dānghen qíngkuàng, bǐrú tianqì fēnbào、jiànkrāng kuàngtǎng děng。
恐怕 is commonly used to express uncertainty or concern in conversations, such as weather forecasts and health conditions.
5 examples
恐怕明天会下雨。
kǒng pà míng tiān huì xià yǔ。
I’m afraid it will rain tomorrow.
恐怕他生病了。
kǒng pà tā shēng bìng le。
I’m afraid he is sick.
恐怕这个周末不能去公园。
kǒng pà zhè ge zhōu mò bù néng qù gōng yuán。
I’m afraid we can’t go to the park this weekend.
恐怕这次考试会很难。
kǒng pà zhè cì kǎo shì huì hěn nán。
I’m afraid this exam will be quite difficult.
恐怕我们得早点回家。
kǒng pà wǒ men dé zǎo diǎn huí jiā。
I’m afraid we should go home early.
5 mini stories
妈妈说恐怕今天会下雨，所以我们带了伞。
mā ma shuō kǒng pà jīn tiān huì xià yǔ， suǒ yǐ wǒ men dài le sǎn。
Mom said it might rain today, so we brought an umbrella.
医生说恐怕他需要多休息几天。
yī shēng shuō kǒng pà tā xū yào duō xiū xi jǐ tiān。
The doctor said he probably needs to rest for a few more days.
老师说恐怕这次作业会有很多人没交。
lǎo shī shuō kǒng pà zhè cì zuò yè huì yǒu hěn duō rén méi jiāo。
The teacher said many people might not have submitted this homework.
爸爸说恐怕我们得早点出发，以免堵车。
bà ba shuō kǒng pà wǒ men dé zǎo diǎn chū fā， yǐ miǎn dǔ chē。
Dad said we should leave early to avoid traffic jams.
朋友说恐怕他不能来参加聚会了。
péng yǒu shuō kǒng pà tā bù néng lái cān jiā jù huì le。
A friend said he probably can’t come to the party.