According to Pleco, 恐怕
has 2 definitions
- fear; dread; be afraid of
- perhaps; probably; maybe
The second definition is what I am struggling with. I was taught that it is similar to 也许
, but in using 恐怕
other reasons must first be stated. For example, in a conversation between two people, person A states some causes for a certain event, then person B may say 恐怕,[another reason]
. Is this accurate?
Even if not, I'm not too confident in my understanding of it. Could someone please give a comprehensive explanation? Also is 恐怕 used more in certain parts of China?