hung2恐
Jyutpinghung2
Yalehúng
Definition
To fear, dread, or terrify.
colloquialemotion
How it's used
恐 is a bound morpheme that rarely stands alone in spoken Cantonese, functioning primarily as a prefix or root in formal or psychological terms. While it conveys a sense of dread or fear, it is almost always paired with 懼 to form 恐懼 for general usage. It carries a more clinical or serious weight compared to the everyday verb 驚.
Examples
He is very fearful of this kind of unknown environment.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often try to use 恐 as a standalone verb like 驚, but it is not grammatically interchangeable in casual speech. Always use 驚 for everyday expressions of fear, and reserve 恐 for compound nouns or formal contexts.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- NegationHow to say no, not, didn't, and don't in Cantonese. The four main negation words and when to use each one.
- Numbers and moneyCounting, talking about money, and asking how much things cost. Includes the two words for two and the everyday words for dollars and cents.
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
