English Translation
He has a serious girlfriend.
vakavasti otettava tyttöystävä = a girlfriend that must be taken seriously (= treated with respect)
vakava tyttöystävä = a serious girlfriend
maybe even “vakavamielinen”?
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English Translation
He has a serious girlfriend.
Kielitoimiston sanakirja gives these two examples.
Hän ei ole vakavasti otettava [= uskottava] poliitikko.
Vakavasti otettava [= harkitsemisen arvoinen] vaihtoehto.
So ‘vakavasti otettava tyttöystävä’ can in principle be translated ‘a girlfriend worth considering’ :-). It is probably best to think of it as an ideomatic expression without analyzing it.