personas
/peɾsonas/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase personas means "human beings as individuals".
personas is used to refer to human beings as distinct individuals. It is distinct from the word gente, which is a collective noun used to mean "people" in a general sense.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the term Paisanos is used to refer to "compatriots" or "fellow countrymen".
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form of personas is persona. When referring to a specific group of people, nouns like personas usually require the definite article las, forming las personas (the people).
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾsonas/
Did you know?
- The term persona is used in Spanish to describe a 'mask' in the context of psychology, reflecting the ancient Greek theatrical tradition where actors wore masks to represent different characters.
- The word persona is strictly feminine, regardless of the gender of the individuals being discussed. Even if a crowd consists entirely of men, you must use feminine adjectives, such as in the phrase todas las personas están cansadas.
- In professional or legal Spanish, you might encounter the term persona jurídica to describe something that is not human at all. This term allows an organization or a company to be treated as a single individual with its own rights.
Examples in context
- Encontré a mucha gente buena en mi viajeI met a lot of good people on my trip
- Hay muchas personas en la calle hoy.There are many people in the street today.
- Conozco a personas muy interesantes aquí.I know very interesting people here.
- Necesitamos escuchar las opiniones de las personas.We need to listen to the opinions of the people.
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are discussing a crowded event.
- Sofía¿Hay muchas personas en la fiesta?Are there many people at the party?
- JavierSí, hay muchísimas personas ahora mismo.Yes, there are so many people right now.
- SofíaEs difícil hablar con personas nuevas en este ruido.It is hard to talk to new people in this noise.
- JavierTienes razón, Sofía, es muy ruidoso.You are right, Sofía, it is very noisy.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
