Breakdown of sigen ga sukunaku naru to, tikyuu no mirai ga sinpai desu.
ですdesu
to be
がga
subject particle
のno
possessive case particle
とto
conditional particle
なるnaru
to become
資源sigen
resource
少なくsukunaku
less
地球tikyuu
Earth
未来mirai
future
心配sinpai
worried
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Questions & Answers about sigen ga sukunaku naru to, tikyuu no mirai ga sinpai desu.
Why is が used with 資源 instead of は?
が marks the subject of the subordinate clause here (“when resources become scarce”). It emphasizes that 資源 (resources) is the thing undergoing the change. If you used は, it would turn 資源 into the topic, implying contrast or background information, which isn’t the focus in this conditional expression.
Why do we say 少なくなる instead of 少ないなる or just 少ない?
少ない is an い-adjective (“few, scarce”). To link it with the verb なる (“to become”), you change the adjective to its adverbial form 少なく and then add なる. So 少なくなる literally means “to become scarce.” You cannot say 少ないなる, and 少ない alone would just describe a state, not the change into that state.
What does the particle と after 少なくなる indicate?
This と is the conditional “when/if” that expresses a general or inevitable result. In this sentence, 資源が少なくなると means “when resources become scarce,” and it implies that whenever this happens, the outcome in the main clause (地球の未来が心配です) follows as a natural consequence.
Why is the verb なる used here instead of 減る (“to decrease”)?
Both 減る (“to decrease”) and 少なくなる (“to become scarce”) are possible, but they differ in nuance. 減る focuses on the act of decreasing. 少なくなる emphasizes the change of state into being scarce. It’s a bit softer and often used when describing conditions like resource availability.
What’s the function of の in 地球の未来?
This の is the genitive (possessive) particle linking two nouns. 地球の未来 means “the future of the Earth” (Earth’s future).
Why do we use が with 未来 in the second clause?
In the main clause, 未来 is the subject of 心配です (“is worrisome”). We use が to mark that subject when stating a feeling or judgment about something.
Is 心配 a noun or an adjective here? Why is です used after it?
心配 is a noun that behaves like a な-adjective when you say “to be worried.” In casual speech you’d use 心配だ, but in polite speech you attach です and say 心配です, meaning “(It) is a worry” or “I am worried.”
Could we replace 少なくなると with 少なくなったら? What’s the nuance difference?
Yes. ～と expresses a general or inevitable result (“whenever/if resources become scarce, then we always worry”). ～たら is more conditional or hypothetical, often referring to a specific instance (“if/when resources do become scarce, then (in that case) we’ll worry”). と feels more like a broad truth; たら can feel more situational.
Why is the sentence in the present tense, even though it’s talking about a future situation?
Japanese often uses the non-past form to talk about both present and future events, as well as general truths. Using 少なくなる and 心配です in the non-past keeps the sentence natural and covers the idea of “will become” and “will be worried” without a separate future tense.