About
The character "怕" (pà), meaning "to fear" or "to be afraid", presents a notable semantic shift from its earlier usage. Its structure consistently combines the radical 心 (xīn), indicating matters of the heart or mind, with the phonetic and semantic component 白 (bái), meaning "white". In its earliest attestations, 怕 was used not to express fear but rather a state of calmness or composure, a meaning now entirely obsolete. Over time, the association of the heart with a "whitened" or pallid state, perhaps evoking the idea of a face drained of color due to fright, led to the character’s dominant and now exclusive meaning of psychological fear or apprehension, completely supplanting its original sense.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我怕一个人在家。
他很怕黑暗。
孩子们怕这位新老师。
你不要怕犯错，要从中学习。
她怕迟到，所以提前出门。
如果你怕忘记，就设置一个提醒。
尽管他怕失败，但仍坚持完成了任务。
由于怕引起不必要的误会，他详细说明了整个情况。