Inklingo

How to Say "narcotic" in Spanish

English → Spanish

droga

DROH-gahˈdɾoɣa

nounB1legal or police context
Use 'droga' when referring to drugs in a general, legal, or police context, often implying illegal substances.
A small, plain white rectangular package resting on the ground, partially covered by yellow and black caution tape, symbolizing an illicit substance.

Examples

La policía incautó tres kilos de droga en el aeropuerto.

The police seized three kilos of drugs at the airport.

El consumo de droga puede arruinar vidas.

Drug use can ruin lives.

Mi serie favorita es una droga; no puedo parar de verla.

My favorite series is like a drug; I can't stop watching it.

Gender and Number

'Droga' is a feminine noun, so you always use feminine articles: 'la droga' (the drug) or 'las drogas' (the drugs).

narcótico

nounB1medical or general use
Use 'narcótico' when referring to a specific drug that affects the mind or behavior, particularly one used for pain relief.

Examples

El médico recetó un narcótico para calmar el dolor después de la operación.

The doctor prescribed a narcotic to soothe the pain after the surgery.

narcótico

adjectiveB2botanical or medical
Use 'narcótico' as an adjective to describe something that has the mind-altering or numbing effect of a drug.

Examples

Algunas plantas tienen propiedades narcóticas muy fuertes.

Some plants have very strong narcotic properties.

opio

OH-pyohˈopjo

nounB2botanical or specific drug context
Use 'opio' specifically when referring to the drug derived from the opium poppy, or as a general term for a numbing drug.
A vibrant red poppy flower with a green seed pod in the center, shown in a simple illustration.

Examples

La amapola es la planta de donde se saca el opio.

The poppy is the plant from which opium is extracted.

Estudiamos las Guerras del Opio en la clase de historia.

We studied the Opium Wars in history class.

Karl Marx dijo que la religión es el opio del pueblo.

Karl Marx said that religion is the opium of the people.

Always Masculine

Even though it refers to a substance, 'opio' is always a masculine noun ('el opio').

The 'io' combination

The 'i' and 'o' blend into one syllable, making it sound like 'pyoh' rather than 'pee-oh'.

Confusing Opio with Amapola

Mistake: “Using 'opio' to describe the flower in a garden.”

Correction: Use 'amapola' for the flower and 'opio' only for the substance extracted from it.

Confusing General Drugs with Specific Narcotics

Learners often confuse 'droga' (general term for drugs, especially illegal ones) with 'narcótico' (a specific type of drug with psychoactive effects). Remember that while all narcotics are drugs, not all drugs are narcotics; use 'droga' for general or illegal substances and 'narcótico' for those affecting the mind or used medically for pain.

Related Translations

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