Breakdown of kisoku wo mamoranai to sinkokuna mondai ga okoru kamo siremasen.
をwo
direct object particle
がga
subject particle
問題mondai
problem
とto
conditional particle
かも しれないkamo sirenai
might
〜ない〜nai
negative form
規則kisoku
rule
守るmamoru
to follow
深刻なsinkokuna
serious
起るokoru
to occur
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Questions & Answers about kisoku wo mamoranai to sinkokuna mondai ga okoru kamo siremasen.
What role does the particle を play in 規則を守らないと?
The particle を marks 規則 (“rules”) as the direct object of the transitive verb 守る (“to obey/follow”). So 規則を守る literally means “to follow the rules.”
Why is 守らないと used here? Doesn’t …ないと sometimes mean “have to do…”?
～ないと can indeed be short for ～ないといけない (“must do”), but it also serves as a conditional “if you don’t….” You distinguish them by what follows. Here, it’s immediately followed by the consequence 深刻な問題が起こる, so it means “if you don’t follow.”
What exactly does the と in 守らないと represent?
That と is the conditional particle. It attaches to the plain negative verb 守らない to form “if (one) doesn’t follow…, then …”
Why is 深刻な followed by な when modifying 問題?
Because 深刻 is a な-adjective (形容動詞). When a な-adjective directly modifies a noun, you must insert な: hence 深刻な問題 (“serious problem”).
Could I use 起きる instead of 起こる for “to occur”?
Yes. Both 問題が起こる and 問題が起きる mean “problems occur.” 起こる is a bit more formal or technical, while 起きる is more everyday, but the meaning is the same here.
What nuance does かもしれません add compared to simply かも?
かもしれません is the polite, slightly more formal way to express “might happen” or “there’s a chance…” In casual speech, you can shorten it to かもしれない or even just かも:
- Polite: 起こるかもしれません
- Neutral: 起こるかもしれない
- Casual: 起こるかも
Why is there no subject in the sentence? Who is “you” or “someone”?
Japanese often omits the subject when context makes it clear. Here the implied subject is a general “you,” “people,” or “we.” It’s a general warning: “If (one) doesn’t follow the rules, serious problems might occur.”
Besides …ないと, what other conditional forms could I use to express “if you don’t follow the rules”?
You have a few options:
• 規則を守らなければ（いけない／なりません） – “If you don’t follow the rules (you must)….”
• 規則を守らなければ深刻な問題が起こるかもしれません。
• 規則を守らなかったら深刻な問題が起こるかもしれません。 (using ～たら)
All carry the same “if you don’t…” meaning, but differ slightly in formality and nuance.
How could I make the warning sound stronger or more urgent?
Add intensifiers or stronger statements of certainty:
• 規則を絶対に守らなければ、深刻な問題が必ず起こるでしょう。 (“If you absolutely don’t follow the rules, serious problems will surely occur.”)
• 規則を守らなければ、深刻な問題は避けられません。 (“If you don’t follow the rules, serious problems are unavoidable.”)