la gente es increíble.
The people are amazing.
Someone inviting a friend to a big city saves the best argument for the people there, and even for a whole crowd the verb stays singular: es.
From Definitivamente, tal vez · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "people" in Spanish
la gente
nounfemininetakes a singular verb
"People" in Spanish is la gente. It's a singular feminine noun, so the verb stays singular: La gente es amable. When you count people, switch to personas: tres personas.
Hear "gente" in real movie scenes
Two compliments for a whole group. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Esta gente es genial
These people are great.
Reporting from a party to someone who missed it, this is how you praise the whole crowd at once, with esta gente for "these people".
Gente, personas or pueblo?
English has one word here. Spanish picks by whether you count and what you mean.
| Spanish | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| la gente | People in general, a crowd | La gente es amable aquí. (People are friendly here.) |
| las personas | People you can count | Hay cinco personas en la sala. (There are five people in the room.) |
| una persona | One person, man or woman | Juan es una persona seria. (Juan is a serious person.) |
| el pueblo | A people or nation, and also a village | el pueblo mexicano (the Mexican people) |
| todo el mundo | Everybody | Todo el mundo lo sabe. (Everybody knows it.) |
Tip: Persona is feminine even when it describes a man: Mi padre es una persona tranquila.
Grammar: la gente es
Four points about a singular word for many people.
A singular verb
La gente es, la gente vive, la gente dice. It means many people, but grammatically it works like English the crowd is.Feminine adjectives
Adjectives match the word, singular and feminine: la gente simpática, Esa gente es bastante simpática.Numbers need personas
Put a number before personas: dos personas, veinte personas. Gente doesn't take a number.The g before e
Before e, the g is a throaty h: HEN-teh. The same sound starts genial.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
La gente es buena.
People are good.
La gente es muy amable.
People are very kind.
Sabes cómo es la gente.
You know how people are.
Esa gente es bastante simpática.
Those people are pretty nice.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗La gente son amables
✓La gente es amable
Gente is grammatically singular, so the verb and the adjective stay singular too.
✗tres gentes
✓tres personas
When there's a number, switch to personas.
✗JEN-teh (pronunciation)
✓HEN-teh
Before e and i, Spanish g is a breathy h made in the throat.
Real conversation: new in the building
A short chat with a neighbor on the stairs. Tap to listen.
In the stairwell, Santiago, who moved into the building a few days ago, starts talking to you.
¿Qué tal? ¿Cómo es la gente?
How's it going? What are the people like?
Bueno, es muy amable.
Well, they're very nice.
¿Sí? ¿Y Ana, la vecina?
Really? And Ana, the neighbor?
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last line.
Continue the conversation in WordyPractice: 3 quick exercises
Free, and you don't need an account.
1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 32 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Gente sounds a lot like gentle. Picture one gentle crowd, and since it's one crowd, it's singular: la gente es.
Questions about "people" in Spanish
How do you say people in Spanish?
La gente for people in general, and personas when you count them: mucha gente, cuatro personas.
Is gente singular or plural?
Singular. Say la gente es, never la gente son, even though it refers to many people.
What's the difference between gente and personas?
Gente is people as one group and can't be counted. Personas is the plural of persona, so it goes with numbers: dos personas.
How do you say "a lot of people" in Spanish?
Mucha gente, with singular feminine mucha: Hay mucha gente en la plaza.
