personaje
/peɾsoˈnaxe/
The English phrase "persona" is translated into Spanish as personaje.
In Spanish, personaje is used to describe the appearance one presents to the world. It is important to distinguish this from the word persona, which refers to a human being.
Meaning: the appearance one presents to the world (noun)
Which one should you use?
While persona means a human being, personaje refers to a character or a public persona.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of personaje is personajes.
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾsoˈnaxe/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word personaje shares a common ancestor with the English word 'person', stemming from the Latin term for a mask used in theatrical performances.
- In Spanish, if you call someone a personaje, you might actually be complimenting their eccentric or colorful personality rather than just describing a fictional character.
- In Spanish, the word personaje can be used to refer to a historical figure, even if they are a real human being and not a fictional creation.
Examples in context
- La persona que llegará más tarde es el jefe.The person who will arrive later is the boss.
- Ese tipo es muy gracioso.That guy is really funny.
- Él siempre interpreta un personaje en el trabajo.He always plays a character at work.
- No es su verdadera personalidad, es solo un personaje.It is not his true personality, it is just a character.
- Ella creó un personaje para su nueva entrevista.She created a persona for her new interview.
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are talking about a famous politician.
- AlejandroÉl parece muy sincero en televisión.He seems very sincere on television.
- MaríaNo creas, es solo un personaje.Don't believe it, it's just a persona.
- Alejandro¿Realmente es así de falso?Is he really that fake?
- MaríaSí, es una imagen para el mundo.Yes, it is an image for the world.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry personaje, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries personaje, CC BY-SA 4.0.
