怕 pà fear
How to remember 怕: 忄 heart + 白 white = fear. Halfway through the horror film her heart races, her face goes white, and she grabs her brother's arm in pure fear.
Component breakdown
怕 = 忄 heart + 白 white
- 忄 heart
- 白 white
Halfway through the horror film her heart races, her face goes white, and she grabs her brother's arm in pure fear.
How it is used
- "To fear/be afraid" - takes an object directly: 我怕狗 (wǒ pà gǒu) I'm scared of dogs, 别怕 (bié pà) don't be afraid.
- 害怕 (hàipà) is the fuller two-syllable version for the same feeling; 可怕 (kěpà) = scary/frightening (describes the thing, not the person).
- 恐怕 (kǒngpà) = "I'm afraid that... / probably", a polite hedge for bad news: 恐怕来不及了 (kǒngpà láibují le) I'm afraid there's no time. 哪怕 (nǎpà) = even if.
Words with 怕
Example sentences
- 我害怕。 Wǒ hàipà.I'm afraid.