Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| trata de personas | /tɾata de peɾsonas/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| tráfico de personas | /tɾafiko de peɾsonas/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| trata | /ˈtɾata/ | feminine |
| traficación humana | /tɾafikaθjon umana/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /tɾafikasjon umana/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
The term refers to the criminal activity where people are recruited, etc. to serve an exploitative purpose.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase trata de personas literally translates to dealing/traffic of persons.
Which one should you use?
trata de personas is the standard term used in legal and human rights contexts to refer to the exploitation of people, whereas tráfico de personas often refers specifically to the illegal movement of people across borders (smuggling).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the term trata de blancas is sometimes used to refer specifically to the trafficking of women for sexual exploitation. In some Mexican regions, the term pollero may be used colloquially to refer to human trafficking, specifically related to smuggling migrants.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the crime in a general sense, the noun trata is feminine and can be used alone as a shorthand for trata de personas.
How do you pronounce it?
/tɾata de peɾsonas/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use traficación humana by following English word patterns, but trata de personas is the correct and natural term in Spanish.
Did you know?
- The colloquial term pollero comes from the word for 'chicken farmer'. It is used in some regions to describe smugglers who move people in 'batches' similar to how poultry is transported.
- The term tráfico in tráfico de personas is not a native Spanish word, as it was borrowed from the Italian word traffico.
- The term coyotaje refers to the act of human smuggling in parts of Mexico, deriving from the word for the animal 'coyote'.
Examples in context
- La trata de personas es una violación de los derechos humanos que afecta a millones de víctimas en todo el mundo.Human trafficking is a violation of human rights that affects millions of victims worldwide.
- Hemos estado investigando sobre el tráfico de personas y sus graves repercusiones en nuestras comunidades.We have been researching about human trafficking and its serious consequences in our communities.
- La trata de personas es un delito grave.Human trafficking is a serious crime.
- Debemos luchar contra la trata de personas.We must fight against human trafficking.
- La policía investiga casos de trata de personas.The police are investigating cases of human trafficking.
Example conversation
A news report is being discussed on a radio program.
- MateoElena, ¿viste las noticias sobre la trata de personas?Elena, did you see the news about human trafficking?
- ElenaSí, Mateo, es un tema muy triste.Yes, Mateo, it is a very sad topic.
- MateoHay que informar más sobre este peligro.We need to provide more information about this danger.
- ElenaTienes razón, la prevención es fundamental.You are right, prevention is fundamental.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “human trafficking” translations and entries trata de personas, trata, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, trata, tráfico, CC BY-SA 4.0.
