Breakdown of Teško je ako im postojanje postane problem.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
oni
they
problem
problem
težak
difficult / severe, serious
Questions & Answers about Teško je ako im postojanje postane problem.
Why does im come right after ako?
This is the main rule for clitics in subordinate clauses! When a subordinate clause starts with a conjunction like ako (if), da (that), or kad (when), any clitics belonging to that clause must be placed immediately after the conjunction. Here, the dative clitic im tucks right in behind ako.
How do we get "for them" out of im? I thought dative meant "to them".
You're right that im is the dative form of "they". While we often translate the dative as "to someone" (like giving a gift to someone), it broadly shows who is affected by an action or situation. In Croatian, saying "existence becomes a problem to them" is the natural way to express that it is a problem for them.
Why is problem in the nominative case instead of the accusative?
The verb postati (to become) doesn't take a direct object. Instead, it links the subject (postojanje, existence) to a new state or identity. Just like with the verb "to be", the noun that follows postati is usually in the nominative case.
Where is the word for "it" in Teško je (It is difficult)?
Croatian doesn't use a "dummy" pronoun like "it" for general, abstract statements. You simply use the neuter form of the adjective (teško) and the verb for "is" (je). Literally, it just says "Difficult is."