A colorful storybook illustration featuring two friendly police officers standing side-by-side. They are wearing blue uniforms, badges, and traditional police hats.

policías

poh-lee-SEE-ahs

nounm/fA1

police officers?individual members of the force,the police?the group of officers (plural)

Also:cops?informal/slang

📝 In Action

Los policías nos ayudaron a encontrar la dirección.

The police officers helped us find the address.

Las policías de este barrio son muy amables.

The female police officers in this neighborhood are very kind.

Siempre hay policías patrullando el centro de la ciudad.

There are always police (officers) patrolling the city center.

Word Connections

Synonyms

agentes (agents)
autoridades (authorities)

Common Collocations

policías de tráfico – traffic police
coche de policías – police car

💡 Grammar Points

Singular vs. Plural

This word, 'policías,' is the plural form. The singular is 'policía.' Use 'policías' when you are talking about two or more officers.

Gender Note (The Article)

Even though the singular word 'policía' uses the feminine article ('la policía') to refer to the institution, when talking about a mixed group of officers, you must use the masculine plural article: 'los policías'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing the Plural

Mistake: "I saw three policia."

Correction: I saw three policías. Remember to add the -s to make it plural, even though the singular already ends in a vowel.

⭐ Usage Tips

Referring to the Force

To refer to the entire institution or department (like 'the police' in English), you can often use the singular 'la policía' (the force), but 'los policías' emphasizes the individuals or groups of officers.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: policías

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses the plural form 'policías'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

policía(police officer / police force) - noun

policial(police (adjective, e.g., 'police report')) - adjective

comisaría(police station) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I say 'one police officer'?

You use the singular 'un policía' (if male) or 'una policía' (if female). The singular word for the officer is 'policía,' regardless of gender.

If I see a group of police, should I say 'la policía' or 'los policías'?

If you are focusing on the individuals in the group, use 'los policías' (the officers). If you are referring to the general concept of the police department or force, use the singular 'la policía' (the institution).