What is the basic meaning of 恐怕?

恐怕 means "I’m afraid that" or "I fear that" and is used to express concern, worry, or an undesirable outcome.

Is 恐怕 used in spoken or written Chinese?

Yes, 恐怕 is commonly used in both spoken and written Chinese, though it is slightly more formal than some other ways of expressing concern.

可能 and 大概 express probability, while 恐怕 conveys concern or worry about an undesirable possibility.

No, 恐怕 is generally used for negative or uncertain situations, not for expressing hopes or positive expectations.

恐怕 usually comes before the subject or verb. 恐怕他今天不会来了 . "I'm afraid he won’t come today".

Yes! We offer Chinese courses in 8 destinations across Asia. Have a look at all of our language courses here .

Grammar Point	Pattern	Example
Expressing concern with 恐怕	恐怕 + [Clause]	恐怕他今天不能来了。
Expressing "almost" using 几乎	几乎 + [Verb/Adjective/Noun]	我今天早上起晚了，几乎迟到了。
Saying "a lot" with 有的是	有的是 + [Noun]	这里有的是工作机会。
Assessing situations with 看来	[Subject] + [Verb/Adj] + 看来 + [Conclusion]	天气这么阴，看来要下雨了。
Expressing "when" with 等到	[Subject] + 等到 + [Time] + [Verb]	我们等到太阳下山后才回家。
Expressing "it seems" with 好像	好像 + [Clause / Statement]	天好像要下雨了。
Using 老是 as a complaint in Chinese	Subject + 老是 + Verb (Phrase)	他老是迟到。
Expressing fractions with 分之	[Denominator] + 分之 + [Numerator]	二分之一
Expressing "it depends" with 看, 要看, & 得看	要看 + (factor/condition)	你什么时候走要看你什么时候有空。
Expressing "each other" with 互相	Subject + 互相 + Verb + (Object)	他们互相帮助。
Expressing as a result with 结果	[Cause or Action], 结果 [Effect or Outcome]	他没带伞，结果被雨淋湿了。
Expressing "until" with 直到	Action/State + 直到 + Condition/Result + 为止	她一直跑步，直到累得站不住为止。