Breakdown of Nedostatak vremena je zabrinjavajući problem.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
problem
problem
vrijeme
time
nedostatak
disadvantage
Questions & Answers about Nedostatak vremena je zabrinjavajući problem.
How is the word zabrinjavajući formed in this sentence?
It is formed from the imperfective verb zabrinjavati (to worry or cause concern). You take the 3rd person plural present tense, zabrinjavaju (they worry), and add the suffix -ći to get the present active participle zabrinjavajući (worrying).
Does zabrinjavajući change its ending depending on the noun it modifies?
Yes. Because it is used here as an adjective describing the masculine singular noun problem, it takes the masculine nominative ending. Present active participles used as adjectives decline just like regular adjectives. If you were describing a feminine noun like situacija, it would become zabrinjavajuća situacija.
Could we use the perfective verb zabrinuti to make this participle?
No. Present active participles can only be formed from imperfective verbs because they describe an ongoing action or state. A worrying problem continuously causes worry, so the imperfective zabrinjavati must be used.
Why is the word for time, vrijeme, written as vremena in this sentence?
It is in the genitive case, translating to 'of time'. The noun nedostatak (lack or shortage) requires the genitive case for the thing that is missing. Notice also that neuter nouns ending in -me, like vrijeme, add an -n- to their stem in all cases other than the nominative and accusative singular.