Modal Stance Adverbs: 大概, 恐怕, 当然, 其实
大概 (dàgài) "probably, roughly" — a neutral estimate, before the verb or a number. 他大概三十岁。(He's probably around thirty.)
恐怕 (kǒngpà) "I'm afraid (that)..." — an estimate specifically about something undesirable or worrying. 天这么黑，恐怕要下雨了。(The sky's so dark, I'm afraid it's going to rain.)
当然 (dāngrán) "of course" — stresses that something is obviously, certainly true. 他当然会来，他是主角。(Of course he'll come — he's the lead.)
其实 (qíshí) "actually, in fact" — corrects or adds a surprising nuance to what was just said or assumed. 别人都以为他很严肃，其实他非常幽默。(Everyone thinks he's serious, but actually he's very funny.)
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 他大概三十岁。 | Tā dàgài sānshí suì. | He's probably around thirty. | 大概 + number: a plain, neutral estimate. |
| 天这么黑，恐怕要下雨了。 | Tiān zhème hēi, kǒngpà yào xià yǔ le. | The sky's so dark, I'm afraid it's going to rain. | 恐怕 marks a worried prediction, reinforced by 要...了. |
| 别人都以为他很严肃，其实他非常幽默。 | Biérén dōu yǐwéi tā hěn yánsù, qíshí tā fēicháng yōumò. | Everyone thinks he's serious, but actually he's very funny. | 其实 overturns the assumption stated in the first clause. |
What you need first
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What this opens up
These patterns list Modal Stance Adverbs among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
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