生怕 shēngpà

生怕（shēngpà）means “for fear that / be terribly afraid that (sth bad might happen)”. 生怕 means 'be very afraid that (something undesirable) may happen', stronger than plain 怕. Formation: 主语 + 生怕 + 担心发生的事

for fear that / be terribly afraid that (sth bad might happen)

HSK6

Formation

主语 + 生怕 + 担心发生的事

Explanation

生怕 means 'be very afraid that (something undesirable) may happen', stronger than plain 怕. It usually explains why the subject acts cautiously: the subject does something because they dread outcome B. Followed directly by the feared situation.

Examples

他走得很慢，生怕吵醒孩子。
tā zǒu de hěn màn, shēngpà chǎoxǐng háizi.
He walked very slowly, afraid of waking the child.
我提前出门，生怕迟到。
wǒ tíqián chūmén, shēngpà chídào.
I left early, terrified of being late.

Note

Stronger and more emotional than 怕. The clause after 生怕 is what one dreads, so it is usually negative.

FAQ

生怕 — what does it mean and how is it used?

for fear that / be terribly afraid that (sth bad might happen). 生怕 means 'be very afraid that (something undesirable) may happen', stronger than plain 怕. It usually explains why the subject acts cautiously: the subject does something because they dread outcome B. Followed directly by the feared situation.

生怕 — how do you form it?

主语 + 生怕 + 担心发生的事

生怕 — any usage notes?

Stronger and more emotional than 怕. The clause after 生怕 is what one dreads, so it is usually negative.

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