Breakdown of sinkokuna mondai ga arimasu.
がga
subject particle
問題mondai
problem
あるaru
to exist/have
深刻なsinkokuna
serious
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Questions & Answers about sinkokuna mondai ga arimasu.
What type of adjective is 深刻な, and why does it require な before 問題?
深刻な is a な-adjective (also called a “na-adjective”). Unlike い-adjectives (which end in い, like 大きい), な-adjectives:
- Behave more like nouns when they modify another noun.
- Require the particle な to connect to the noun that follows.
So you attach な to 深刻 and then add 問題, giving 深刻な問題 (“a serious problem”).
How do な-adjectives differ from い-adjectives in Japanese?
Key differences:
- Ending:
- い-adjectives end with い (e.g. 暑い, 楽しい).
- な-adjectives do not end with い in their base form (e.g. 静か, 複雑, 深刻).
- Noun modification:
- い-adjective
- noun: 大きい家
- な-adjective
- な + noun: 静かな部屋
- い-adjective
- Adverbial form:
- い-adj. → replace い with く: 早く歩く
- な-adj. → add に: 静かに話す
- Conjugation:
- Past tense:
- い-adj.: 暑い → 暑かった
- な-adj.: 静か → 静かだった
- Past tense:
What is the function of が in this sentence?
In the existential construction X が あります/います, が marks X as the subject or the thing that exists. Here, 問題が indicates “the problem” is what exists:
深刻な問題があります。
(“There is a serious problem.”)
Why is あります used instead of います?
Japanese distinguishes animate vs. inanimate existence:
- います is used for animate beings (people, animals).
- あります is used for inanimate things or abstract concepts (objects, events, problems).
Since 問題 (problem) is abstract/inanimate, we use あります.
How can I turn this statement into a question?
Simply add the question particle か at the end:
深刻な問題がありますか?
This means “Is there a serious problem?” or “Do we have a serious problem?”
How can I make the sentence negative?
Use the negative form ありません in place of あります:
深刻な問題がありません。
This means “There is no serious problem.” or “We don’t have a serious problem.”
Can I make it more polite than あります?
- あります is already polite (formal).
- For extra humility/politeness, you can use ございます in a business or very formal context:
深刻な問題がございます。
Can I use this structure with other nouns?
Yes. Any noun you want to express as “existing” can follow this pattern. Examples:
- 大きな誤りがあります。 (“There is a big mistake.”)
- 面白い質問があります。 (“I have an interesting question.”)
- 新しい情報があります。 (“There is new information.”)
What’s the difference between 深刻な問題があります and 問題が深刻です?
- 深刻な問題があります。 uses the existential verb あります to say “There is a serious problem.” It focuses on existence.
- 問題が深刻です。 uses the copula です to state “The problem is serious.” It focuses on describing the problem’s quality.