Breakdown of Una pequeña mentira puede crear un problema grande en la familia.
Questions & Answers about Una pequeña mentira puede crear un problema grande en la familia.
In Spanish, articles and adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun.
- mentira is a feminine singular noun.
- Therefore, the article and adjective must also be feminine singular:
- una (feminine singular article)
- pequeña (feminine singular form of pequeño)
un pequeña mentira is wrong because un is masculine, while mentira is feminine.
The correct combination is una pequeña mentira.
Most nouns ending in -a are feminine, but there is a group of exceptions, especially words of Greek origin ending in -ma, -pa, -ta. Many of these are masculine:
- el problema (the problem)
- el tema (the topic)
- el sistema (the system)
- el programa (the program)
- el mapa (the map)
So problema is masculine, which is why the sentence has:
- un problema grande (not una problema grande).
In Spanish, adjectives usually go after the noun, but many common adjectives can also go before, and the position can slightly change the nuance.
una pequeña mentira
- Adjective before the noun: this sounds a bit more subjective or emotional, almost like “a little lie” in the sense of “not very serious”.
un problema grande
- Adjective after the noun: this is the neutral/default position, just stating a big problem factually.
You could also say:
- una mentira pequeña – grammatically correct, more neutral, less “set phrase”
- un gran problema – very common; sounds slightly stronger/more emphatic than un problema grande
So both positions are possible with many adjectives, but:
- Adjective before: often more subjective or evaluative (“a mere, small, awful, wonderful X”).
- Adjective after: more descriptive/neutral (“a big/small/red/interesting X”).
Yes, you can definitely say un gran problema. In fact, it’s very common.
grande changes form before a singular noun:
- gran is used before any singular noun (masculine or feminine):
- un gran problema
- una gran mentira
- grande is used:
- after the noun: un problema grande
- or before plural nouns: unos problemas grandes
Nuance:
- un gran problema often feels more intense/emphatic than un problema grande.
- un gran problema ≈ “a major problem / a serious problem”
- un problema grande ≈ literally “a big problem” (still serious, but a bit more literal)
So your sentence could also be:
Una pequeña mentira puede crear un gran problema en la familia.
puede is the 3rd person singular of poder (to be able to / can).
Structure: puede + infinitive = “can / may + verb”.
- puede crear = “can create” or “may create”.
Difference in nuance:
- crea un problema = “creates a problem” (more direct, almost automatic or habitual)
- puede crear un problema = “can create a problem” (it has the potential to cause a problem; it doesn’t always, but it can)
The sentence is talking about the possibility or risk, not something that always happens, so puede crear fits well.
Yes, all of these are grammatically correct, but they have slightly different nuances:
puede crear un problema – “can create a problem”
- very common, slightly more neutral.
puede causar un problema – “can cause a problem”
- focuses more on the idea of cause and effect.
puede provocar un problema – “can provoke/trigger a problem”
- can sound a bit stronger, suggesting it triggers conflict or trouble.
In everyday speech, crear and causar are both very natural here in Spain. provocar is also fine, just a touch more dramatic in many contexts.
en la familia and en familia do not mean exactly the same thing.
en la familia = “in the family” (referring to a specific family)
- un problema grande en la familia = “a big problem in the family”
en familia (without article) is a set phrase that usually means something like:
- “as a family / with family / privately with the family”
- e.g. Cenamos en familia. = “We have dinner as a family.”
In your sentence, you’re talking about creating a problem inside the family, so en la familia is the natural choice.
Spanish often uses the definite article (el, la, los, las) with family nouns where English might use a possessive:
- la familia = “the family”
- Depending on context, this can be understood as “the (person’s) family / the family unit”.
If you say su familia, you’re specifying “his/her/their family” quite clearly. In a general, proverb-like sentence about family dynamics, Spanish often prefers la familia to refer to the general idea of a family context.
So:
- Un problema grande en la familia
≈ “a big problem in the family (in the family context / within a family)” - Un problema grande en su familia
= more specifically “in his/her/their family”.
Yes, you can say Una mentira pequeña; it’s grammatically correct. The difference is mostly in style and nuance:
Una pequeña mentira (adjective before the noun)
- slightly more common/natural in this expression
- can sound a bit more subjective or softened, like “a little lie” or “a small lie (not that serious)”
Una mentira pequeña (adjective after the noun)
- more neutral/descriptive, focusing literally on the size/importance
- feels less like a fixed phrase.
In real usage, una pequeña mentira is more idiomatic in this type of sentence.
pequeño / pequeña and grande describe size, scale, or importance.
- una pequeña mentira = a small/insignificant lie
- un problema grande = a big problem (large or serious)
poco / mucha, etc., describe quantity:
- poca agua = little water (not much)
- mucho dinero = a lot of money
Here, we’re not talking about “a lie that is not much” (quantity), but a lie that is small/insignificant in importance. So pequeña is the right word, not poca.
Similarly, un problema grande is about the magnitude of the problem, not the quantity, so grande is appropriate, not mucho.
Yes, mentirita is a diminutive of mentira, formed with -ita, and it’s used in colloquial speech.
- Una mentirita ≈ “a little lie” or “a tiny lie”, often sounding a bit more affectionate, informal, or even minimising the seriousness.
Comparisons:
- una pequeña mentira – slightly more neutral and standard.
- una mentirita – more colloquial, can sound like you’re downplaying it (as if it’s not a big deal).
In a neutral, textbook-like sentence, una pequeña mentira is more typical. In spoken Spanish, especially in a softening tone, una mentirita would be very natural.
Spanish present simple is often used for general truths, habitual actions, and general statements, just like in English.
In this sentence:
- Una pequeña mentira puede crear un problema grande en la familia.
The present tense expresses a general fact or possibility:
- “A small lie can create a big problem in the family (in general, in life).”
It’s not about a specific moment right now; it’s a general statement about what can happen in families.
Yes, that’s a perfectly correct and natural variation:
- Una pequeña mentira puede causar grandes problemas en la familia.
- “A small lie can cause big problems in the family.”
Differences:
- un problema grande (singular): focuses on one big problem.
- grandes problemas (plural): suggests several or many serious problems.
Both structures are common. The original sentence chooses the singular, but the plural version is just as valid in terms of grammar and meaning.