Chinese word

恐怕

Pronunciation

Pinyinkǒng pà

Meaning

  • adverbprobably

Example

今天恐怕会下雨。jīn tiān kǒng pà huì xià yǔ

It will probably rain today.

Illustration for 恐怕 (probably)

More examples

他没回复信息，恐怕是忘了。tā méi huí fù xìn xī kǒng pà shì wàng le

He didn't reply to the message; he probably forgot.

Core concept

An uncertain possibility viewed through a veil of concern, often making the forecast sound careful and restrained.

Common phrases

  • 恐怕是我弄错了kǒng pà shì wǒ nòng cuò le

    I probably made a mistake

  • 恐怕要下雨了kǒng pà yào xià yǔ le

    It will probably rain

  • 恐怕不是好主意kǒng pà bú shì hǎo zhǔ yì

    probably not a good idea

Similar words

可能kě néng: Possibly expresses a neutral chance that something will happen or be true.
大概dà gài: Probably expresses an approximate judgment when there is no precise proof.

Definition in Chinese

表示说话人对某事可能发生或为真的一种带有担忧或推测的语气副词，常用于对将来或事实的判断。biǎo shì shuō huà rén duì mǒu shì kě néng fā shēng huò wèi zhēn de yì zhǒng dài yǒu dān yōu huò tuī cè de yǔ qì fù cí cháng yòng yú duì jiāng lái huò shì shí de pàn duàn

Word origin

恐 (kǒng, "fear") + 怕 (pà, "be afraid") gives the word a fearful starting image that develops into cautious judgment about what may happen.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this word can make an unwelcome statement or refusal sound more tactful by presenting it with hesitation rather than certainty.

Opposites

Word lists with this word