modality N1 uncommon politewritten
心配がある — there is a worry/risk that ~
心配がある ・ しんぱいがある
Meaning
- there is a worry/concern that ~ — flags a possible undesirable outcome the speaker is anxious about
Key sentence
このままでは、計画が失敗する心配がある。
As things stand, there's a worry the plan will fail.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb dictionary form, or noun + の | V-る／Nの + 心配がある | 倒産する心配がある / 健康の心配がある |
Examples
台風で電車が止まる心配がある。
There's a concern the trains will stop because of the typhoon.
薬には副作用の心配がある。
There's a worry about side effects with this medicine.
今のところ、その心配はない。
For now, there's no such worry.
Easily confused with
〜恐れがある 恐れがある is a formal forecast/warning of a bad outcome (objective, often in news: 'there is a danger that ~'). 心配がある frames the same risk as something one personally worries about — more subjective and softer. 〜可能性がある 可能性がある is neutral 'there's a possibility ~' (good or bad). 心配がある specifically marks an outcome as undesirable and a source of anxiety.
See 心配がある in real sentences
Jengo shows 心配がある 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.