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Expressing 'to fear that' with 意恐 (yìkǒng)
Condition
Wishes & Desires
Structure
意恐 + Clause
Explanation
The phrase 意恐 (yìkǒng) means "to worry that" or "to fear that" and combines 意 (thought/feeling) with 恐 (to fear). It is a literary expression found in classical Chinese poetry. In the poem 游子吟, 意恐迟迟归 expresses a mother's worry that her son will be slow to return home.
Examples
她意恐孩子在外面吃不好、睡不好。
tā yì kǒng háizi zài wàimiàn chī bù hǎo, shuì bù hǎo.
She worried that her child would not eat well or sleep well out there.
母亲意恐儿子路途遥远，一再叮嘱他注意安全。
mǔqīn yì kǒng érzi lùtú yáoyuǎn, yīzài dīngzhǔ tā zhùyì ānquán.
The mother worried that her son's journey was far, and repeatedly urged him to be careful.
父亲意恐我们迷路，特意画了一张地图。
fùqīn yì kǒng wǒmen mílù, tèyì huàle yī zhāng dìtú.
Father worried we would get lost, so he specially drew a map.