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March 24, 2026
害怕hàipà(hai4pa4)
害怕 (hài pà) means 'to be afraid' or 'to be scared.' It is often used to express fear or anxiety about a specific situation or object. This word can be employed in both casual conversations and more serious contexts when discussing fears.
Frequency#529DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, expressing fear may be seen as a sign of vulnerability, so people might use 害怕 cautiously. However, discussing fears openly can also be a way to build closer relationships in social contexts.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person who is so scared that they are 'hiding' (害) behind a 'palm tree' (怕) to avoid their fears. The character 害 (hài) suggests causing harm, while 怕 (pà) directly means fear, creating a vivid image of being afraid of potential harm.
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AI Study Notes for 害怕
Quick Contrast
恐惧 (kǒngjù) vs 害怕 (hàipà): use 害怕 for general fear or anxiety, while 恐惧 implies a deeper, more intense fear.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a person who is so scared that they are 'hiding' (害) behind a 'palm tree' (怕) to avoid their fears. The character 害 (hài) suggests causing harm, while 怕 (pà) directly means fear, creating a vivid image of being afraid of potential harm.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 害怕 with 恐惧 (kǒng jù), which is more formal. 害怕 is commonly used in everyday speech. Be careful with tone pronunciation: it's hài pà, not hài bā.
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 3 word, 害怕 connects well with other expressions of feelings and emotions. Students should focus on using it in sentences that describe personal fears and practice with adjectives that modify it, like 'very' (非常) or 'a little' (有点).
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, expressing fear may be seen as a sign of vulnerability, so people might use 害怕 cautiously. However, discussing fears openly can also be a way to build closer relationships in social contexts.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes misuse 害怕 in negative sentences, such as '我不害怕' (wǒ bù hài pà) when they mean 'I am not afraid,' but they forget to include the context. It should specify what they are not afraid of: '我不害怕蛇' (wǒ bù hài pà shé - I am not afraid of snakes).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 害怕
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Grammar Patterns of 害怕
害怕 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.--Paulo Coelho
Cultural Notes for 害怕
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, expressing fear may be seen as a sign of vulnerability, so people might use 害怕 cautiously. However, discussing fears openly can also be a way to build closer relationships in social contexts.
Frequently Asked Questions about 害怕
You can say '我害怕黑暗' (wǒ hài pà hēi'àn), which means 'I am afraid of the dark.'
害怕 is more common in spoken language; for formal writing, consider using 恐惧.
Synonyms include 害怕 (hài pà), 恐惧 (kǒng jù), and 担心 (dān xīn), which means 'to worry'.
