problema

Unadapted borrowing from Ancient Greek πρόβλημα (próblēma). Doublet of problem.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /pɹəˈblɛmə/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /pɹəˈblɛmə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛmə
• Hyphenation: pro‧ble‧ma

problema (plural problemata)

1. (formal) A problem set forth in the Ancient Greek scholarly tradition.
   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:problemata.

Borrowed from Latin problēma, from Ancient Greek πρόβλημα (próblēma, “obstacle”).

• IPA^(key): /pɾoˈblema/
• Syllabification: pro‧ble‧ma
• Rhymes: -ema

problema m (plural problemas)

1. problem

Borrowed from Latin problēma, from Ancient Greek πρόβλημα (próblēma, “obstacle”).

• IPA^(key): /pɾoˈblema/ [pɾoˈβ̞le.ma]
• Rhymes: -ema
• Syllabification: pro‧ble‧ma

problema m (plural problemes)

1. problem

Borrowed from Latin problēma, from Ancient Greek πρόβλημα (próblēma, “obstacle”).

• IPA^(key): (Central) [pɾuˈβlɛ.mə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [pɾoˈblɛ.mə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [pɾoˈble.ma]

• Audio (Catalonia):

  (file)

problema m (plural problemes)

1. problem (difficulty; obstacle)
2. problem (question; schoolwork exercise)

• IPA^(key): /pɾobˈlema/ [pɾ̪obˈl̪i.mɐ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: pro‧ble‧ma

From Spanish problema, from Latin problēma, from Ancient Greek πρόβλημα (próblēma, “obstacle”).

problema

1. a problem; a difficulty that has to be resolved or dealt with

Short for problema ni mama or problema ni papa.

problema

1. (humorous, often offensive) the penetrating sex hand gesture, formed by making an OK sign with one hand and inserting another finger, usually the index finger, into the ring

Inherited from Spanish problema (“problem”).

• IPA^(key): /pɾoˈblema/, [pɾoˈble.ma]
• Rhymes: -ema
• Hyphenation: pro‧ble‧ma

problema (plural problemas)

1. problem

From problemo +‎ -a.

• IPA^(key): /proˈblema/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ema
• Syllabification: pro‧ble‧ma

problema

1. problematic; appearing like, or related to, a problem

Learned borrowing from Latin problēma, from Ancient Greek πρόβλημα (próblēma, “obstacle”).

problema m (plural problemas)

1. problem

• IPA^(key): /proˈble.ma/

problema (plural problemas)

1. problem

Borrowed from Latin problēma, from Ancient Greek πρόβλημα (próblēma, “obstacle”), from προβάλλω (probállō, “to throw or lay something in front of someone, to put forward”), from prefix προ- (pro-, “in front of”) + βάλλω (bállō, “to throw, to cast, to hurl”).

• IPA^(key): /proˈblɛ.ma/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛma
• Hyphenation: pro‧blè‧ma

problema m (plural problemi)

1. problem
2. glitch, bug

• sottoproblema

• problisma (late manuscripts)

Borrowed from Ancient Greek πρόβλημα (próblēma, “obstacle”).

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [prɔˈbɫeː.ma]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [proˈblɛː.ma]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈprɔː.bli.ma]

problēma n (genitive problēmatis); third declension

1. problem, puzzle, enigma, question proposed for solution.

Third-declension noun (neuter, imparisyllabic non-i-stem).

• problēmaticus

• “problema”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “problema”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• problema in Georges, Karl Ernst; Georges, Heinrich (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th edition, volume 2, Hahnsche Buchhandlung

From Latin problēma, from Ancient Greek πρόβλημα (próblēma). Influenced by other European languages.

problemà f (plural problèmos) stress pattern 2

1. problem

• “problema”, in Lietuvių kalbos žodynas [Dictionary of the Lithuanian language], lkz.lt, 1941–2026
• “problema”, in Dabartinės lietuvių kalbos žodynas [Dictionary of contemporary Lithuanian], ekalba.lt, 1954–2026

Borrowed from Italian problema.

• IPA^(key): /prɔbˈlɛː.ma/
• Rhymes: -ɛːma

problema m or f (plural problemi)

1. problem

• May be masculine like the Italian etymon, but mostly construed as feminine.

• problemene

problema n

1. definite plural of problem

problema n

1. definite plural of problem

Borrowed from Latin problēma, from Ancient Greek πρόβλημα (próblēma, “obstacle”).

• (nonstandard) IPA^(key): /poˈbrẽ.mɐ/, /puˈble.mɐ/, /puɾble.mɐ/
• (Northeast Brazil) IPA^(key): /pɾɔˈblẽ.mɐ/
• (Caipira) IPA^(key): /pɻoˈbɻẽ.mɐ/

• Audio (Brazil):

  (file)

• Audio (Portugal (Porto)):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -emɐ
• Hyphenation: pro‧ble‧ma

problema m (plural problemas)

1. problem (difficulty that has to be resolved or dealt with)
2. problem (question to be answered)

   Synonyms: exercício, questão

3. (pathology, informal) disorder (physical or psychical malfunction)

   Synonym: transtorno

For quotations using this term, see Citations:problema.

• “problema”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “problema”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

problema

1. definite nominative/accusative singular of problemă

Borrowed from Latin problēma, from Ancient Greek πρόβλημα (próblēma, “obstacle”).

• IPA^(key): /pɾoˈblema/ [pɾoˈβ̞le.ma]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ema
• Syllabification: pro‧ble‧ma

problema m (plural problemas)

1. problem, issue, challenge (a difficulty or obstacle that has to be dealt with)
   • 2025 September 24, Alejandra Jaramillo, “Trump exige investigación sobre presunto "triple sabotaje" en la ONU”, in CNN en Español‎^[1]:

     En redes sociales afirmó que una serie de fallos técnicos, que incluyeron una escalera mecánica detenida, un fallo del teleprompter y problemas de audio, fueron actos deliberados para socavar su credibilidad. […] El exmandatario amplió el tema en una publicación en sus redes sociales, donde también mencionó el problema de un audio “totalmente desincronizado”.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. trouble (singular or plural)
3. question, dilemma, conundrum

   Synonym: dilema

4. condition (illness)

   Synonym: condición

• problema técnico (“technical difficulty”)

• → Cebuano: problema
• > Chavacano: problema (inherited)
• → Tagalog: problema

• “problema”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

• poblema

Borrowed from Spanish problema (“problem; trouble”), from Latin problēma, from Ancient Greek πρόβλημα (próblēma, “obstacle”).

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /pɾoˈblema/ [pɾoˈblɛː.mɐ]
• Rhymes: -ema
• Syllabification: pro‧ble‧ma

problema (Baybayin spelling ᜉ᜔ᜇᜓᜊ᜔ᜎᜒᜋ)

1. problem; trouble

   Synonyms: suliranin, kuwestiyon, bagahe, sigalot

• “problema”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018