Chinese has a number of words related to ‘fear’ and ‘being afraid’. Let’s look at these words in detail to see how they differ from each other.

怕 害怕 恐怕 可怕 恐怖 恐惧 Pinyin pà hài pà kǒng pà kě pà kǒng bù kǒng jù HSK Level － HSK 3 HSK 4 HSK 5 HSK 6 HSK 6 Pleco Definitions 1. to be afraid

2. to fear

3. to dread

4. to be unable

to endure

5. perhaps 1. to be afraid

2. to be scared 1. fear

2. to dread

3. I’m afraid that…

4. Perhaps

5. Maybe 1. awful

2. dreadful

3. fearful

4. formidable

5. frightful

6. scary

7. hideous

8. horrible

9. terrible

10. terribly 1. terrible

2. frightful

3. frightening

4. terror

5. terrorist 1. fear

2. dread

3. phobia

As we can see from the above table, the character 怕 is present in many of these words. Surprisingly, it’s not included in the HSK word lists as a standalone word although it is often used this manner.

怕 is commonly translated as ‘to be afraid’ or ‘to fear’. The word implies the speaker feels agitated or nervous as a result of something fearful. It usually takes an object.

我怕狗。

I’m afraid of dogs.

怕 can also mean ‘to worry’. In this sense, it is synonymous with the verb 担心.

堵车了，我怕我赶不上飞机。

There’s a traffic jam. I’m anxious I’m going to miss the plane.

怕 can be used to describe an aversion to something. In this sense, the meaning is an exaggeration and can even be slightly playful in tone.

夏天还穿毛衣啊？你怕冷吗？

It’s summer and you’re still wearing a jumper? Are you afraid of the cold?

怕 can also be used as an adverb, but this meaning is not related to the idea of ‘fear’. When used as an adverb, 怕 means ‘approximately’. This usage is not so common. (An approximation is more often expressed with 大概.)

这孩子怕有十二三岁了。

This child is about twelve or thirteen years old.

The two character verb 害怕 is practically synonymous with the verb 怕, although 害怕 often doesn’t take an object.

这是我第一次坐飞机，我很害怕！

This is my first time flying, I’m really afraid!

Note that both 怕 and 害怕 can take intensifier complements (such as 极了 and 得很.)

看牙医让我儿子害怕极了。

My son is absolutely terrified of going to the dentist.

恐怕 has a meaning very distinct from 害怕. As a verb, it can express ‘worry’ or ‘misgivings’ about something.

妈妈恐怕孩子走错路。

The mother worried that her child had lost his way.

恐怕 is often used as an adverb meaning ‘I’m afraid that…’ or ‘perhaps’. Notice that this meaning is not about fear per se, but rather describes the possibility of a situation that may be considered unfortunate. It is often used at the beginning of a sentence, expressing the speaker’s view on a matter. 恐怕 can also be shortened to 怕 in this adverbial meaning.

他生病了，恐怕他今天不能上课。

I’m afraid he’s ill so he won’t be able to come to class today.

可怕 is an adjective which can describe something that ‘makes people scared’. It is an informal expression more commonly used in spoken Chinese.

王经理很可怕，开会的时候经常骂人。

Manager Wang is scary. He often shouts at people during meetings.

The adjective 恐怖 can describe a method or atmosphere that is ‘frightening’ or ‘terrible’. Notice that it describes a thing or situation that is terrifying, and not the feelings of a person.

这部电影好恐怖啊，我不敢看了！

This movie is too frightening, I can’t watch it anymore.

The noun 恐怖 can be translated as ‘terror’. As a noun, 恐怖 is not often used as a standalone word. 恐怖 is often seen in other noun phrases such as 恐怖主义 (terrorism), 恐怖主义者 or 恐怖分子(terrorist), 恐怖组织 (terrorist organization), 恐怖袭击 (terrorist attack), 恐怖片 and 恐怖电影 (horror movie).

At first glance, 恐惧 and 恐怖 might appear similar. However, whilst 恐怖 can be used as a noun or an adjective, 恐惧 usually cannot be used as a noun. The main difference, however, is that 恐怖 refers to the object that causes fear, whilst 恐惧 refers to the psychological state of a person who is afraid.

他的脸上流露出恐惧的神色。

His face revealed an expression of fear.

Summary

The following table summarizes the grammatical uses of each word, according to 现代汉语规范词典 (the Standard Dictionary of Modern Chinese):

怕 害怕 恐怕 可怕 恐怖 恐惧 Verb

Yes Yes Yes Noun Yes Adjective Yes Yes Yes Adverb Yes Yes

References and Further Reading

1. 汉语近义词学习手册, p.118-119.

2. 现代汉语规范词典, p.978 (怕), p.512 (害怕), p.748 (可怕), p.758 (恐怕, 恐怖 and 恐惧).

3. Chinesepod, https://chinesepod.com/lessons/describing-fear

4. iCIBA句库, http://dj.iciba.com/%E6%81%90%E6%80%95-1.html