afraid to tell her vs afraid of telling her

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in slightly different contexts. 'Afraid to tell her' is used when the fear is related to the action of telling her, while 'afraid of telling her' is used when the fear is related to the act of telling itself. The choice between them depends on the nuance you want to convey.

Last updated: March 21, 2024 • 790 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"afraid to tell her"

This phrase is used when the fear is related to the action of telling her. It implies that the fear is about the consequences or reactions that may follow after telling her something.

Examples:

I'm afraid to tell her about my decision.
He was afraid to tell her the truth.
She is afraid to tell her parents about her relationship.

Show examples from the web [+]

I'm falling in love with a girl on Quora but am afraid to tell her. ... I'm in love with a girl and she also loves me but I'm afraid to tell her and even accept it myself, ...
OP meant 'afraid to tell her how OP feels about her', because OP says OP talks to her a lot. .... I'm falling in love with a girl on Quora but am afraid to tell her.
When looks are in the picture, either you are not mature enough to realize what love is, or you are simply infatuated with that girl because she is comfortab...
Nov 6, 2014 ... How should I tell her? I love a girl, but I am afraid to speak to her. What should I do? I am in love with one girl, but I am afraid to tell her what I do.

Alternatives:

scared to tell her
nervous to tell her
reluctant to tell her
hesitant to tell her
unwilling to tell her

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"afraid of telling her"

This phrase is used when the fear is related to the act of telling itself. It implies that the fear is about the process of communicating the information.

Examples:

He is afraid of telling her the bad news.
She is afraid of telling her boss about the mistake.
They are afraid of telling her the truth.

Show examples from the web [+]

6 апр 2013 ... He is not afraid of telling her / to tell her the truth. afraid-and-afraid-of-raznitsa-----. ещё примеры. He makes such a racket I'm afraid he disturbs ...
... of' are differnet in meaning and usage but people say 'I am not afraid to tell her the truth' and 'I am not afraid of telling her the truth' have the same meaning.
Sep 30, 2013 ... (I'm more afraid of telling her than telling my mom!) I always told my boyfriend that I'll tell my roommate when the house searching process got ...
... You're afraid she's not really the one you spend the rest of your life with; You're afraid of telling her because you don't want to hurt her; You're afraid of telling ...

Alternatives:

scared of telling her
nervous about telling her
worried about telling her
anxious about telling her
concerned about telling her

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afraid to tell her vs afraid of telling her