AdverbsHSK 5
Expressing concern with 恐怕
Use 恐怕 at the start of a sentence to politely express concern or speculation, meaning 'I'm afraid that...'. It is often paired with auxiliary verbs like 要, 会, or 能. Remember to put 恐怕 before the subject of the sentence, not after it.
Structure
恐怕 + Subj. (+ Auxiliary Verb) + Verb Phrase
Often used with auxiliary verbs such as 要, 会, 能, 得.
Examples
- 今天恐怕要下雨。Jīntiān kǒngpà yào xià yǔ.I'm afraid it's going to rain today.
- 这件事恐怕得你帮忙。Zhè jiàn shì kǒngpà děi nǐ bāngmáng.I'm afraid we're going to need your help with this matter.
- 老婆，我晚上要加班，恐怕不能回家吃晚饭了。Lǎopo, wǒ wǎnshang yào jiābān, kǒngpà bù néng huíjiā chī wǎnfàn le.Dear, I'm going to work late tonight. I'm afraid I can't go home to eat dinner.
- 恐怕没那么容易吧。Kǒngpà méi nàme róngyì ba .I'm afraid it's not that easy.
- 一个人去那个地方恐怕不太安全吧。Yīgèrén qù nàge dìfang kǒngpà bù tài ānquán ba .I'm afraid it's not safe to go there alone.