生怕

• Pinyin: shēng pà
• Hanzi breakdown: 生 = 土 + 屮 (life, here intensifying prefix); 怕 = 忄+ 白 (to fear)

Meaning

To be deeply afraid that; to fear greatly; used to express strong worry that something undesirable might happen.

Always used before a clause expressing the feared outcome, functioning as a conjunction. Implies heightened anxiety and cautious behaviour in response. More emotionally intense than 怕 alone and typical in literary and formal written Chinese.

Examples

1. 他走路时放轻脚步，生怕惊扰了熟睡中的孩子。 He walked softly, afraid of waking the sleeping child.
2. 她反复检查文件，生怕提交的报告中有任何疏漏。 She checked the documents again and again, afraid there might be any omissions in the report she was submitting.
3. 队员们全程保持高度专注，生怕一丝松懈葬送整场比赛。 The team stayed highly focused the entire time, afraid that even a moment’s lapse could ruin the whole match.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, daily life, emotional expression

Tone: anxious

Do Say

• 她把每一个细节都仔细核查了两遍，生怕在正式答辩时出现不必要的纰漏。(She carefully checked every detail twice, deeply afraid that unnecessary errors might arise during the formal defence.)
• 他提前一小时抵达会场，生怕交通延误使自己错过这次重要的演讲机会。(He arrived at the venue an hour early, greatly fearing that traffic delays might cause him to miss this important speaking opportunity.)

Don't Say

• 生怕 followed directly by a noun without a verb clause — 生怕 must precede a full feared-outcome clause, not a bare noun

Origin & History

生 (intensifier: utterly, deeply) + 怕 (to fear)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal