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怕事 (pà shì) — to be afraid of getting into trouble; to be timid and avoid trouble

Definition

怕事 (pà shì) is a verb/adjective meaning 'to shy away from trouble' — describes someone overly cautious and unwilling to take risks or speak up. Often carries a negative judgment of being timid.

to be afraid of getting into troubleto be timid and avoid trouble

Examples

  • ，。
    Tā pà de shì tài duō le, cóng lái bù gǎn zhēng qǔ zì jǐ de quán lì.
    He is afraid of so many things that he never dares to fight for his own rights.
  • 怕事，？
    Nǐ lǎo shì zhè me pà shì, shén me shí hou cái néng zuò chū chéng jì?
    If you're always so afraid of trouble, when will you ever achieve anything?
  • 怕事，。
    Gōng zuò zhōng bié tài pà shì, shì dàng tí yì jiàn fǎn ér duì tuán duì yǒu hǎo chù.
    Don't be too afraid of trouble at work — offering appropriate feedback actually benefits the team.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

怕pàfear
事shìtrouble

怕 means to fear and 事 means matters or trouble; together they mean to fear getting into trouble.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
白
白bái怕pà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

怕 pairs 心 (heart) with 白, which gives the sound.

Open 怕 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Open 事 →
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Personality & Traits

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