la gente
person · people
Persone considerate insieme, spesso come gruppo o comunità.
Definition & meaning
Gente means people in a collective sense: a group of people considered together, often without specifying who they are.
- C’è molta gente qui. — There are a lot of people here.
- La gente parla. — People talk.
It can also refer to a particular community or kind of people, as in gente di mare — seafaring people.
Grammar & Word origin
Gente is a feminine singular noun. Although it refers to multiple people, it normally takes a singular verb: la gente è — people are.
It comes from Latin gens, gentis, meaning “clan,” “family,” or “people.”
Synonyms & antonyms
- persone — “people” as individual persons; unlike gente, it is grammatically plural.
- popolazione — the population of a particular place or area.
- folla — a crowd, emphasizing a large number of people gathered together.
There is no exact antonym.
Common phrases & collocations
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Examples
C’è molta gente in piazza oggi.noun
There are many people in the square today.
La gente aspetta l’autobus alla fermata.noun
The people are waiting for the bus at the stop.
La gente parla piano in biblioteca.noun
People speak quietly in the library.
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