públicas

/POO-blee-kas/

public

A colorful illustration showing a diverse group of people sitting together on a green park bench in a sunny, shared space, illustrating something public.

Illustrating something 'public' or 'open to everyone,' like a park bench shared by the entire community.

públicas(Adjective)

fA1

public

Open to everyone

Also:

governmental

Relating to the state

state-owned

Owned by the government

📝 In Action

Las bibliotecas públicas abren los sábados.

The public libraries open on Saturdays.

Necesitamos políticas públicas más justas.

We need fairer public policies.

Sus declaraciones públicas causaron controversia.

Her public statements caused controversy.

Word Connections

Synonyms

estatales (state-run)
comunitarias (community)

Antonyms

privadas (private)
secretas (secret)

Common Collocations

administraciones públicas – public administrations
escuelas públicas – public schools

💡 Grammar Points

Adjective Agreement

Since 'públicas' is an adjective, it must match the noun it describes. It ends in -as because the noun is feminine (f.) and plural (more than one), like 'las calles' (the streets).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using the wrong gender/number

Mistake: "Los calles públicas (mixing masculine article with feminine noun and adjective)."

Correction: Las calles públicas. (Make sure the article, noun, and adjective all agree in gender and number.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Focus on Community

Think of 'públicas' as the opposite of 'privadas' (private). It means it belongs to or serves the whole community, not just one person.

A simple storybook illustration of a large green sanitation truck collecting trash from a residential bin, representing a public service.

Depicting 'public services' (servicios públicas), such as government-run sanitation and waste collection.

públicas(Noun)

fB1

public services

Government-run services

Also:

public works

Infrastructure projects, often short for 'obras públicas'

state-owned entities

When referring to companies or institutions

📝 In Action

El presupuesto para las públicas fue aprobado.

The budget for the public services was approved.

Hay que mejorar la calidad de las públicas.

We must improve the quality of the public works/services.

Word Connections

Synonyms

servicios (services)
infraestructuras (infrastructure)

💡 Grammar Points

Adjective as Noun

In Spanish, you can often drop the noun if the meaning is obvious. Here, 'públicas' often stands in for 'obras públicas' (public works) or 'empresas públicas' (public companies).

⭐ Usage Tips

Context is Key

When you see 'las públicas' used as a noun, look at the surrounding words. If the discussion is about construction or maintenance, it probably means 'public works'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: públicas

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'públicas' as a noun (referring to a service or entity)?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

público(public (masculine singular)) - adjective/noun

pública(public (feminine singular)) - adjective/noun

publicar(to publish) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'públicas' and 'pública'?

'Pública' is the singular form (used when describing one feminine thing, like 'una calle pública'). 'Públicas' is the plural form (used when describing two or more feminine things, like 'dos calles públicas').

Why does 'públicas' sound like it means 'public works' sometimes?

This happens through abbreviation. Instead of saying the full phrase 'obras públicas' (public works), Spanish speakers often just use the adjective 'públicas' and trust the listener knows the meaning from the context, especially in government or news discussions.