恐怕 kǒng pà
“fear; to dread; I'm afraid that...”
adverbHSK 4 · 2021 list level 3
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
恐怕 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 1438: 恐怕 kǒngpà — Level 4; official annotation 4 (动、副). PDF page 115
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 恐怕
恐怕 is an adverb used before a whole clause to mean "I'm afraid (that)…" — a worried or unwelcome guess about what is probably true or likely to happen. It usually comes after the subject (or at the start of the sentence) and is followed by the situation you fear: 恐怕 + clause. It often appears with 要…了, 不…, 来不及, 不行 and similar expressions of bad news.
例句Example sentences
- 天黑了，恐怕要下雨了。tiān hēi le, kǒng pà yào xià yǔ le.It's getting dark — I'm afraid it's going to rain.
- 现在已经十点了，他恐怕不来了。xiàn zài yǐ jīng shí diǎn le, tā kǒng pà bù lái le.It's already ten o'clock; I'm afraid he isn't coming.
- 这个周末我恐怕没有时间。zhè ge zhōu mò wǒ kǒng pà méi yǒu shí jiān.I'm afraid I don't have time this weekend.