modality N2 common politewritten
恐れがある — there is a risk/fear/danger that ~
恐れがある ・ おそれがある
Meaning
- there is a fear / risk / danger that ~ — warns that an undesirable thing may happen; typical of forecasts and official notices
Key sentence
午後から大雨になる恐れがあります。
There is a risk of heavy rain from the afternoon.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (plain form) | Plain form + 恐れがある | 津波が来る恐れがある |
| Noun + の | Nの + 恐れがある | 洪水の恐れがある |
When: Formal — weather warnings, news, official announcements. Almost always about a negative, somewhat serious outcome.
Examples
この地域は土砂崩れの恐れがある。
This area is at risk of landslides.
放置すれば悪化する恐れがある。
If left untreated, there is a danger it will get worse.
When you can't use it
- 恐れ here is the noun 'fear / risk', not the verb 恐れる; it pairs only with unwanted outcomes (×晴れる恐れがある).
Easily confused with
See 恐れがある in real sentences
Jengo shows 恐れがある the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.