presos
/PREH-sohs/
prisoners
The word 'presos' refers to prisoners held in a facility.
presos(noun)
prisoners
?people held in a jail or correctional facility
inmates
?people living within a prison
📝 In Action
Los presos tienen derecho a una hora de ejercicio al día.
B1The prisoners have the right to one hour of exercise per day.
Muchos presos estudian una carrera mientras cumplen su condena.
B2Many inmates study for a degree while serving their sentence.
💡 Grammar Points
Group Gender Rule
Even though 'presos' is masculine, we use it to talk about a group of prisoners that includes both men and women. If the group is only women, you would say 'presas'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Presos vs. Prisioneros
Mistake: "Using 'prisioneros' for people in a standard city jail."
Correction: Use 'presos' for legal/criminal contexts. 'Prisioneros' is usually reserved for war or kidnapping situations (prisioneros de guerra).
⭐ Usage Tips
Natural Sounding
In news reports, you will often hear 'reclusos' to sound more formal, but 'presos' is the word everyone uses in daily conversation.
In this context, 'presos' describes being trapped or unable to escape.
presos(adjective)
trapped
?unable to move or escape a situation
imprisoned
?physically or emotionally held captive
📝 In Action
Estamos presos de un tráfico terrible.
B1We are trapped in terrible traffic.
Viven presos de sus propios miedos.
B2They live as prisoners of their own fears.
💡 Grammar Points
Using with 'Estar'
When 'presos' describes a state or condition (how someone is at the moment), always use it with the verb 'estar'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Figurative Language
You can use this word beautifully to describe emotions. For example, 'presos de la emoción' means being so emotional you can't speak or act.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: presos
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'presos' to describe an emotion?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'presos' a verb?
Not exactly. While it acts like a past participle (a word derived from a verb), in modern Spanish it is almost always used as a noun or an adjective. To say 'they were captured,' you would usually use the verb 'apresar'.
Can I use 'presos' for objects?
It is mostly used for people or animals. However, you can use it figuratively for things that are 'stuck' or 'held' in a situation, like 'presos en la aduana' (stuck in customs).