Breakdown of Klimatske promjene su ozbiljan problem.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
problem
problem
ozbiljan
serious
klimatske promjene
climate change
Questions & Answers about Klimatske promjene su ozbiljan problem.
Why is klimatske promjene plural when "climate change" is singular in English?
In Croatian, it is standard to use the plural form promjene (changes) when talking about the global phenomenon of climate change, emphasizing the multiple environmental shifts happening. It literally translates to "climatic changes".
If the subject klimatske promjene is plural, why is ozbiljan problem singular?
Even though the subject is plural, the changes collectively form a single, unified concept. In Croatian, just like in English, a plural subject can be equated to a singular noun phrase when classifying it as one specific thing (a problem).
Could I use the singular form klimatska promjena instead?
You can, but it changes the meaning. Klimatska promjena refers to one single, specific shift in the climate, whereas the plural klimatske promjene is the fixed, everyday term for the broader global phenomenon.
Why does the adjective ozbiljan end in -an here instead of -ni?
Ozbiljan is in the indefinite form, which is used because we are introducing a new characteristic (answering "what kind of problem?"). If we were referring to a specific, already-mentioned serious problem, we would use the definite form ozbiljni.