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Il ne se rend pas compte du problème.

Il ne se rend pas compte du problème.
He does not realize the problem.
From Lesson 167:Indefinite relative pronouns with 'de' verbs (ce dont)·French

Questions & Answers about Il ne se rend pas compte du problème.

Why is it du problème instead of just le problème?
The French expression for "to realize" is se rendre compte de. It always requires the preposition de before the object. Since problème is a masculine noun (le problème), the de and le contract into du. This is a great reminder for your current lesson: because this verb takes de, if you wanted to say "what he doesn't realize", you would use ce dont to get ce dont il ne se rend pas compte.
Why is there a se before rend?
To mean "to realize" or "to become aware of", you must use the reflexive form of the verb: se rendre compte. The se is the reflexive pronoun for "he" or "she". If you drop it and just say rendre compte, it changes the meaning completely to "to report" or "to account for".
Where exactly do ne and pas go when negating a reflexive verb?
In simple tenses, the negation words ne and pas form a "sandwich" around the reflexive pronoun and the conjugated verb together. They treat se rend as a single, inseparable block, which gives you ne se rend pas.
Could I just use the verb réaliser here instead?
You will sometimes hear native speakers use réaliser to mean "to realize a fact" due to English influence. However, it traditionally means "to make something real" or "to achieve" (like realizing a dream). Se rendre compte de is the standard, universally correct way to say "to realize" in French.

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