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drogas

DRO-gas/ˈdɾoɣas/

“drogas” means “drugs” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

drugs

Also: narcotics
NounfB1
A small, suspicious pile of various brightly colored pills and white powder contained in small plastic baggies, symbolizing illegal substances.

📝 In Action

El gobierno tiene una nueva campaña contra el abuso de drogas.

B1

The government has a new campaign against drug abuse.

La policía encontró drogas en el coche del sospechoso.

B1

The police found drugs in the suspect's car.

Hablaron en la escuela sobre los peligros de las drogas.

A2

They talked at school about the dangers of drugs.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • estupefacientes (narcotics)
  • narcóticos (narcotics)

Common Collocations

  • tráfico de drogas – drug trafficking
  • abuso de drogas – drug abuse
  • drogas duras – hard drugs
  • drogas blandas – soft drugs

drugs

Also: medications
NounfB2formal
A clean, transparent plastic bottle filled with assorted medical capsules and tablets, representing pharmaceutical drugs.

📝 In Action

La farmacéutica investiga nuevas drogas para tratar el cáncer.

B2

The pharmaceutical company is researching new drugs to treat cancer.

La aspirina es una de las drogas más vendidas del mundo.

C1

Aspirin is one of the most sold drugs in the world.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • administración de drogas – drug administration (medical)

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "drogas" in Spanish:

drugs→medications→narcotics→

✏️ 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

👥 Word Family▼
droga(drug (singular)) — Noun
drogar(to drug (someone)) — Verb
drogadicto/a(drug addict) — Noun / Adjective
droguería(drugstore) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
sogasahogasabogas
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Old Dutch word 'droge', which meant 'dry'. This is because medicinal herbs and substances were often prepared and sold in a dried form. The word traveled into Spanish through other European languages like French.

First recorded: Around the 15th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: drugFrench: drogueDutch: droog (dry)

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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.