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gente

people

noun HEN-teh Common

Origin: From Latin gens, gentis (clan, people).

Usage Note

Gente is grammatically singular in Spain (la gente es amable) but treated as plural in many Latin American varieties (la gente son amables). It is a collective noun and cannot be made plural to mean 'peoples' in the same way as English — for ethnic groups use pueblos. Do not confuse with gentil (gentle/kind) — a false cognate trap.

Examples

"Hay mucha gente en la plaza hoy."

Natural Translation

There are many people in the square today.

Literal Translation

There-is much people in the square today

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