Question 1

Why does nuevos come after problemas instead of before it?

Accepted Answer

In Spanish, descriptive adjectives like nuevos (new) usually come right after the noun they describe. This is the opposite of English, where we say 'new problems', but in Spanish it is phrased as 'problems new' (problemas nuevos).

Question 2

Why is it unos and nuevos if problemas ends in an 'a'? Doesn't 'a' mean it is feminine?

Accepted Answer

Most nouns ending in 'a' are feminine, but problema is a common exception! It is actually a masculine noun. Because it is masculine and plural, the words that describe it also have to be masculine and plural. That is why we use unos and nuevos instead of unas and nuevas.

Question 3

Do we have to use nosotros here, or can we just say tenemos?

Accepted Answer

You can completely drop it and just say Tenemos unos problemas nuevos. The verb tenemos already means 'we have', so nosotros is optional. Spanish speakers usually add it only when they want to add emphasis.

Question 4

I know un means 'a' or 'one'. Does unos always mean 'some'?

Accepted Answer

Exactly! When you make the singular words un or una plural (unos or unas), they translate to 'some' or 'a few' in English.

Nosotros tenemos unos problemas nuevos.

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