恐怕 - Expressing "concern"
HSK 4
恐怕 (kǒngpà) is a common Chinese grammar point used to express concern, worry, or hesitation. It translates to phrases like "I'm afraid that," "I'm concerned that," or "I'm worried that." It is often used to soften a statement, especially when delivering bad news or showing uncertainty. Despite the word "afraid," 恐怕 is not necessarily about fear—it can be used in everyday contexts to express a polite or indirect tone.
The word 恐怕 typically appears at the beginning of the sentence and is often followed by auxiliary verbs like 要 (yào), 会 (huì), 能 (néng), or 得 (děi).
The general structure is:
(Reason,) 恐怕 + Subject + Predicate
It sounds more natural to place 恐怕 before the subject.
Sample Sentences
天气不好，恐怕今天不能出门了。The weather is bad; I’m afraid we can’t go out today.
恐怕我明天没时间参加会议。I’m afraid I don’t have time to attend the meeting tomorrow.
路上堵车，恐怕我们会迟到。There’s a traffic jam; I’m afraid we’ll be late.
In a Text
最近几天的天气一直不好，早上起来的时候，窗外的风声特别大，恐怕今天的登山计划得取消了。本来我们都期待着这次活动，尤其是小李，他还专门买了一双新的登山鞋。不过，安全最重要，如果山上风太大，可能会有危险。恐怕我们只能改天再去，希望到时候天气会好一些。今天既然不能出去，不如我们去附近的咖啡馆坐一坐，聊聊天，也可以好好放松一下。
专门 (zhuān mén): Specifically; specially; particularly; specialized
既然 (jì rán): Since; now that
The weather has been bad these past few days. When I woke up this morning, the sound of the wind outside the window was especially loud. I’m afraid today’s hiking plan has to be canceled. We were all looking forward to this trip, especially Xiao Li, who even bought a new pair of hiking boots. However, safety is the most important thing, and if the wind is too strong in the mountains, it could be dangerous. I’m afraid we’ll have to go another day and hope the weather will be better then. Since we can’t go out today, why don’t we go to a nearby café, sit for a while, have a chat, and take the chance to relax?
