How to Write 怕 (pà) — Meaning “to fear; to be afraid”

Imagine your heart (忄) turning white (白) because you are so scared. This visual of a pale heart helps connect the two components to the meaning of fear. It's a simple and memorable image for language learners.

When writing the left radical 忄, remember the stroke order: dot, dot, then vertical line – the second dot is placed slightly above the first. For the right side 白, the first stroke is a left-falling stroke (丿), not a vertical line, and the box shape should be balanced. A common mistake is making the 忄 too narrow or the 白 too wide.

怕 means 'to fear' and has the right side 白 (white), while 忏 (chàn) means 'to repent' and has 千 (thousand) on the right. 忕 (shì/tài) is a rare character meaning 'habit' or 'big' and has 大 (big) on the right. The different right components change both pronunciation and meaning.

Use 怕 when expressing fear, worry, or concern, such as in 害怕 (feeling afraid) or 恐怕 (I'm afraid that...). In daily conversation, 恐怕 is often used politely to soften a prediction or bad news. It's a common HSK 2 word that appears in both casual and formal language.

Common words containing 怕 include: 害怕 (hài pà) — To be afraid; 哪怕 (nǎ pà) — Even if; 恐怕 (kǒng pà) — I'm afraid that; perhaps.