drogas
/DRO-gas/
drugs
The primary meaning of drogas refers to illegal or recreational substances.
📝 In Action
El gobierno tiene una nueva campaña contra el abuso de drogas.
B1The government has a new campaign against drug abuse.
La policía encontró drogas en el coche del sospechoso.
B1The police found drugs in the suspect's car.
Hablaron en la escuela sobre los peligros de las drogas.
A2They talked at school about the dangers of drugs.
💡 Grammar Points
Singular vs. Plural
While 'una droga' (one drug) is correct, you'll most often hear the plural 'drogas' when people talk about the general problem or concept of illegal drugs.
⭐ Usage Tips
Universal Meaning
This is the universally understood meaning for illegal substances across the entire Spanish-speaking world. It's direct and clear.
In formal or medical contexts, drogas can refer to pharmaceutical drugs or medicines.
📝 In Action
La farmacéutica investiga nuevas drogas para tratar el cáncer.
B2The pharmaceutical company is researching new drugs to treat cancer.
La aspirina es una de las drogas más vendidas del mundo.
C1Aspirin is one of the most sold drugs in the world.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Potential for Confusion
Mistake: "Voy a la farmacia a comprar drogas para mi dolor de cabeza."
Correction: It's much clearer to say, 'Voy a comprar medicamentos (or medicinas)'. Using 'drogas' in a pharmacy could be seriously misunderstood, even though it's technically correct in a medical sense.
⭐ Usage Tips
Spotting the Meaning
If you hear 'drogas' in a lab, hospital, or a discussion about the pharmaceutical industry, it likely means 'medicines'. In almost any other conversation, it means 'illegal drugs'.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: drogas
Question 1 of 1
If a person says, 'Fui a la droguería a comprar unas cosas,' what did they most likely buy?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'drogas', 'medicamentos', and 'fármacos'?
In everyday conversation, 'drogas' almost always refers to illegal substances. 'Medicamentos' is the most common and safest word for medicines you buy at a pharmacy. 'Fármacos' is a more technical term for pharmaceutical drugs, often used by doctors and scientists.
Is 'drogas' always a negative word?
Not necessarily. It's the standard, neutral word for illegal drugs. The tone depends on the context of the conversation. However, because of this strong association, it's best to use 'medicamentos' when talking about medicine to avoid any confusion.