hung2 paa3恐怕
Jyutpinghung2 paa3
Yalehúng pa
Definition
To fear, be afraid of, or suspect that something unfortunate has happened or will occur.
neutraldescriptions
How it's used
Use this to soften the blow when delivering bad news or expressing a pessimistic opinion. It functions as a polite buffer, signaling that you are reluctant to share the information or that you hope your assessment turns out to be wrong. It is significantly more common in formal or semi-formal settings than in casual banter between close friends.
Examples
I'm afraid it will rain heavily tomorrow, don't go hiking.
I'm afraid this matter isn't that simple, you need to be careful.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to express personal fear or phobias, as it is strictly for making cautious predictions or deductions about external events. For actual feelings of fear, use 驚 instead.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
