parados
/pah-RAH-dohs/
standing
A person standing on their feet, illustrating the meaning of 'parados'.
📝 In Action
Los estudiantes están parados en la entrada.
A1The students are standing at the entrance.
No hay sillas, así que nos quedamos parados.
A2There are no chairs, so we stayed standing.
💡 Grammar Points
Describing groups
Use 'parados' when talking about a group of men or a mixed group of men and women. If the group is only women, use 'paradas' instead.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Standing vs. Stopped
Mistake: "Using 'están parados' only to mean 'stopped'."
Correction: In Spanish, this word describes both the physical act of standing up and the state of being stopped or still.
A person out of work, representing 'parados' as being unemployed.
📝 In Action
Hay muchos obreros parados en esta ciudad.
B1There are many unemployed workers in this city.
💡 Grammar Points
Using it as a noun
You can use this word as a noun by adding 'los'. For example, 'los parados' means 'the unemployed people'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Spain vs. Latin America
In Spain, 'parados' is the standard way to say unemployed. In Latin America, 'desempleados' is much more common.
A stationary bicycle, showing 'parados' as being stopped or not in motion.
📝 In Action
Los coches están parados en el semáforo.
A1The cars are stopped at the traffic light.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: parados
Question 1 of 1
If you are in Spain and someone says 'Hay muchos parados', what are they likely talking about?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'parados' only for men?
It is used for a group of men or a mixed group. For a group of only women, you must change it to 'paradas'.
What is the difference between 'parados' and 'desempleados'?
They mean the same thing (unemployed), but 'parados' is very common in Spain, while 'desempleados' is used more across Latin America and in formal writing.