generales
“generales” means “general” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
general
Also: widespread, common
📝 In Action
Hay reglas generales para todos los estudiantes.
A1There are general rules for all students.
Llegamos a unos acuerdos generales durante la reunión.
B1We reached some general agreements during the meeting.
En líneas generales, el proyecto va muy bien.
B2Broadly speaking, the project is going very well.
generals
📝 In Action
Los generales planearon la defensa del país.
B1The generals planned the defense of the country.
Las generales de la fuerza aérea asistieron al evento.
B2The female generals of the air force attended the event.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: generales
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'generales' to describe a military rank?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin 'generalis,' which means 'relating to a whole group or kind.' It shares the same root as 'genus' (type/class).
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'generales' change if the group is all women?
As an adjective (like 'general rules'), it never changes. As a noun (the military rank), you would use 'las generales' to refer specifically to a group of female generals.
Is it 'general' or 'generales' for a group?
If you are describing more than one thing, you must use the plural 'generales'. For example: 'un plan general' but 'muchos planes generales'.