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Sorry if this is really simple and I'm overlooking the obvious, but I'm not sure how the following sentence should be translated as I've noticed on previous occasions that the word 「心配{しんぱい}」 might be used in a vague or ambiguous way:

各国{かくこく}で地震{じしん}が起{お}きているのでオーストラリアも心配{しんぱい}です。

I can think of three possibilities:

  • There are earthquakes occurring in many countries, so there are also concerns that one will occur in Australia.
  • There are earthquakes occurring in many countries, so Australia is also concerned that one will occur.
  • There are earthquakes occurring in many countries, so I'm concerned that one will also occur in Australia.

Also, when should 「心配」 by itself be used instead of 「心配しています」 etc, as I think both phrases can be translated to "(I'm) worried" and "(I'm) concerned" in English?

1 Answer 1

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オーストラリアも心配です just means “I am worried also about Australia,” and it does not specify what exactly the speaker is worried about. In your example, it is clear from the first half of the sentence that the speaker is worried about the possibility of earthquakes (and more precisely, probably the damage which earthquakes may cause) also in Australia.

心配だ is a na-adjective meaning “worrying.” From Daijirin with my translation into English:

テストの結果が心配だ。 I am worried about the result of the exams.

You cannot replace 心配だ with 心配している, because the subject of 心配する is a person who is worried.

×テストの結果が心配している。 The result of the exams is worried (about something).

It is ok to use ~を心配している:

テストの結果を心配している。 I am worried about the result of the exams.

although it is less natural than the example in the dictionary.

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  • Oops, this answer may be too simplistic. I realized that 私は心配だ is correct, which means that my explanation that “心配だ” means “worrying” is incomplete. Nov 18, 2011 at 0:27

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