Comparison of '恐怕' (kǒngpà) and '怕' (pà)

Description

Both '恐怕' (kǒngpà) and '怕' (pà) are used to express fear or concern in Chinese, but they are used in different contexts and have different nuances.

恐怕 (kǒngpà)

'恐怕' is an adverb that means "I'm afraid" or "perhaps" and is often used to express concern or an uncertain prediction about a situation. It carries a sense of apprehension or worry.

Examples

• 恐怕明天会下雨。(Kǒngpà míngtiān huì xiàyǔ.) - I'm afraid it will rain tomorrow.
• 现在已经很晚了，恐怕我们赶不上最后一班地铁了。(Xiànzài yǐjīng hěn wǎn le, kǒngpà wǒmen gǎn bù shàng zuìhòu yī bān dìtiě le.) - It's already very late, I'm afraid we won't catch the last subway.

怕 (pà)

'怕' is a verb that means "to fear" or "to be afraid of" and is used to express a personal fear or worry directly. It is more straightforward and can be used to describe someone's emotional state.

Examples

• 我怕黑。(Wǒ pà hēi.) - I am afraid of the dark.
• 她怕狗。(Tā pà gǒu.) - She is afraid of dogs.

Key Points

• '恐怕' (kǒngpà) is an adverb used to express concern or an uncertain prediction, often translated as "I'm afraid" or "perhaps".
• '怕' (pà) is a verb used to describe a direct fear or worry, meaning "to fear" or "to be afraid of".
• Use '恐怕' when expressing apprehension or concern about a situation, and '怕' when directly describing someone's fear or worry.