Learn Spanish (Latin America): Las drogas son un problema terrible.

Las drogas son un problema terrible.

Drugs are a terrible problem.

Breakdown of Las drogas son un problema terrible.

Questions & Answers about Las drogas son un problema terrible.

Why is there a Las before drogas when the English translation just says "Drugs"?

In Spanish, when you talk about a noun in a general or abstract sense (like referring to all drugs as a whole), you must include the definite article (el, la, los, or las). English drops "the" for these general statements, but Spanish requires it to introduce the subject.

Since problema ends in -a, shouldn't it be una problema?

Problema is a famous exception! Many Spanish words ending in -ma (especially those originating from ancient Greek) are actually masculine. That is why we use un problema, just like el idioma (the language), el clima (the climate), or el sistema (the system).

Could I put the adjective first and say un terrible problema?

Yes, you can. The standard rule is to put the descriptive adjective after the noun (un problema terrible). However, moving an adjective of quality like terrible in front of the noun is a common way to add emotional emphasis and make your statement sound more subjective or dramatic.