Meaning of 可怕
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- awful
- dreadful
- fearful
- formidable
- frightful
- scary
- hideous
- horrible
How to use 可怕
可怕 describes things that cause fear or are really bad, like a scary movie, a terrible accident, or an alarming situation. It often appears with 很 or 太. Example: 这个电影太可怕了。(Zhège diànyǐng tài kěpà le.) This movie is too scary.
可 (kě) means "able to" or "worthy of," and 怕 (pà) means "to fear," so 可怕 is something worth fearing. Think of it like 可爱 (kě'ài), "worth loving," but for things that scare you.
Common mistake: Learners often say 我很可怕 when they mean "I am scared," but that actually means "I am scary." To say you feel afraid, use 害怕 (hàipà): 我很害怕。
可怕 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
可 kě · can · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
怕 pà · to be afraid · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
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- 7
- 8
Related words
Words that share a character with 可怕.
| 可以 | kěyǐ | can; may |
| 可能 | kěnéng | might (happen); possible |
| 可是 | kěshì | but; however; (used for emphasis) indeed |
| 可爱 | kě'ài | adorable; cute |
| 害怕 | hàipà | to be afraid; to be scared |
| 恐怕 | kǒngpà | fear; to dread |
| 可靠 | kěkào | reliable |
| 可乐 | kělè | amusing; entertaining |
| 认可 | rènkě | to approve; approval |
| 哪怕 | nǎpà | even; even if |
| 可见 | kějiàn | it can clearly be seen (that this is the case); it is (thus) clear |
| 可怜 | kělián | pitiful; pathetic |
Questions about 可怕
What does 可怕 mean?
可怕 (kěpà) means "awful; dreadful" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 可怕?
可怕 is made of 2 characters: 可 (5 strokes), 怕 (8 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 可怕 an HSK word?
Yes. 可怕 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 可怕 and 害怕?
可怕 describes the thing that causes fear, as in 蛇很可怕 (snakes are scary). 害怕 describes the person who feels fear, as in 我害怕蛇 (I am afraid of snakes). 害怕 can take an object, but 可怕 cannot.
Can 可怕 be used for things that are not literally scary?
Yes. It can mean "terrible" or "alarming" in a broader sense, for example 他的速度很可怕 (his speed is frightening), which can even be a kind of impressed comment. Context tells you whether it is negative or admiring.