怕

pà

verb HSK 3 #720

Meanings

1 to be afraid
2 to fear

Characters

Contains 忄 (heart radical) + 白 (white) — heart turning white with fear.

Examples

我怕黑。

Wǒ pà hēi.

I'm afraid of the dark.

Bú yào pà!

Don't be afraid!

我怕他不来。

Wǒ pà tā bù lái.

I'm afraid he won't come.

Tips

grammar

怕 + noun = afraid of something. 怕 + clause = worried that something will happen.

usage

恐怕 (kǒngpà) means 'I'm afraid that...' as a polite hedge, not actual fear.

Stroke Order

怕 pà