恐れがある・おそれがある - Grammar Discussion

Grammar Points
#1

there is a risk/fear that
be in danger of
possibility of

Structure

  • Verb[る / ない] + 恐れがある
  • い-Adj + 恐れがある
  • な-Adj + 恐れがある
  • Noun + 恐れがある

硬

[Used when, based on some premise, the speaker/writer thinks that something bad might happen・Often used in articles, news, etc.]

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#2

Is anyone able to elaborate on how different (or not) 恐れがある and 恐らく are?
I’m having a hard time grasping the nuance of 恐らく

#3

Hey @JohnDoe1 !

恐れがある is used to imply that there is a possibility that something negative will happen. ( There is a risk or fear that…)

恐らく is used to simply present possibilities. (There is a possibility that…)

I hope that helps!

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#4

Thank you for your answser.
I’m confused because I thought 恐らく also meant something undesirable

#5

Although the original meaning of 恐らく had this nuance of ‘undesirable’, in modern Japanese, it does not carry this negative nuance. It is used just like how たぶん and ‘probably’ is used!

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#6

Thanks a lot. I get it now :grinning:

#7

Confused by 行ったのは and its translation as “if you go” in this example sentence:

遠足に行ったのはいいが、急な天候の変化で帰れない恐れがある。
It is alright if you go on the trip, but there is the possibility of a sudden change in weather that would not let you return (home).

Is the situation that the listener is already on the trip?
Is the situation that the listener is considering going on the trip in the near future?

In Japanese, I’d expect nominalized past tense to refer to past events (except one specific expression たほうがいい (JLPT N5) | Bunpro ). So that would put the listener already on the trip.
In English, I’d first of all interpret this as a discussion about going or not going to a planned trip, but maybe it is also meant as talking about the past here.