恐惧 kǒngjù to be frightened
to be frightened; fear; dread
How to remember 恐惧: 恐 fearful + 惧 to fear = to be frightened.
Characters
How it is used
- Fear / dread - a deep, gripping fear: 内心的恐惧 (nèixīn de kǒngjù) inner fear, 恐惧症 (kǒngjùzhèng) phobia.
- Heavier and more formal than 害怕 (hàipà, to be afraid); 恐惧 is a profound, often paralyzing fear.
- Psychological/literary register; 死亡恐惧 (fear of death).
Example sentences
- 恐惧很快变成愤怒。 Kǒngjù hěnkuài biànchéng fènnù.Fear quickly turned into anger.
- 我不会表现出恐惧。 Wǒ búhuì biǎoxiàn chū kǒngjù.I'm not going to show any fear.
- 我不想在恐惧中生活。 Wǒ bùxiǎng zài kǒngjù zhōng shēnghuó.I don't want to live my life in fear.