HSK 5 grammar · adverb
恐怕
恐怕 — I'm afraid (that) / probably
Pattern
+
( ) can be left out · other words may come before, between and after
How it works
An adverb expressing the speaker's worried estimate that something (usually undesirable) is likely true. Translate as 'I'm afraid…' or 'probably.' Unlike neutral 大概/也许, it carries concern, so it pairs with unwelcome outcomes.
Examples
现在去恐怕已经来不及了。
Xiànzài qù kǒngpà yǐjīng láibují le.
I'm afraid it's already too late to go now.
这个问题恐怕没有那么简单。
Zhège wèntí kǒngpà méiyǒu nàme jiǎndān.
I'm afraid this problem isn't that simple.
Related
See it in a story
In the app, 恐怕 is underlined wherever it appears in the stories you read, and practised with sentences from them. Free.