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El tema de la igualdad es polémico, pero fundamental.

El tema de la igualdad es polémico, pero fundamental.
The topic of equality is controversial, but fundamental.
From Lesson 327:Sharing Points of View·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about El tema de la igualdad es polémico, pero fundamental.

Why is it El tema and not La tema since it ends in an 'a'?
Words ending in -ma that come from Greek are usually masculine in Spanish. Other common examples you might know are el problema, el programa, and el sistema. Because it is masculine, any adjectives describing it must also be masculine, which is why we see polémico later in the sentence.
Why do we say de la igualdad instead of just de igualdad?
In Spanish, abstract nouns (ideas, concepts, or qualities like equality, love, or justice) usually require a definite article (el, la, los, las) when we talk about them in a general sense. In English, we just say 'equality,' but in Spanish, it needs to be la igualdad.
Why use es instead of está for 'is controversial'?
We use es (from the verb ser) because being controversial is an inherent, defining characteristic of this topic. We use ser for defining traits and identities, whereas estar is used for temporary states, conditions, or locations.
Why does polémico have a written accent mark?
The spoken stress in polémico falls on the third-to-last syllable (po-LÉ-mi-co). In Spanish, words stressed on this syllable always require a written accent mark, without exception.

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