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How to Say "folk" in Spanish

English → Spanish

gente

/HEN-teh//ˈxente/

nounA1informal
Use 'gente' when referring to a general group of people, the populace, or inhabitants of a place, similar to 'people' or 'folks' in English.
A diverse group of people of different ages and ethnicities mingling in a sunny park, representing 'gente' as people in general.

Examples

Los viejos del pueblo cuentan historias de la gente de antes.

The old folks of the village tell stories about the people from before.

Hay mucha gente en la playa hoy.

There are a lot of people at the beach today.

La gente de aquí es muy amable.

The people from here are very kind.

No me importa lo que piense la gente.

I don't care what people think.

A Group, Not Individuals

Think of 'gente' like 'the crowd' or 'the public' in English. Even though it means many people, the word itself is treated as one single, feminine thing. So, you always say 'la gente'.

Using Plural Verbs

Mistake: “La gente son interesantes.”

Correction: La gente es interesante. Because 'gente' is a singular word, the verb connected to it must also be singular ('es', not 'son').

popular

poh-poo-LAHR/po.puˈlaɾ/

adjectiveB1general
Use 'popular' when 'folk' refers to something traditional, belonging to the culture of the common people, like 'folk music' or 'folk traditions'.
A large, diverse crowd of people standing close together in a sunny public square, representing 'the people' or the public.

Examples

La música popular colombiana es muy rica.

Colombian folk music is very rich.

El gobierno debe escuchar la voluntad popular.

The government must listen to the popular will (the will of the people).

El arte popular de México es muy colorido.

The folk art of Mexico is very colorful.

Se organizaron protestas populares contra la nueva ley.

Popular protests (protests by the people) were organized against the new law.

Formal Contexts

When you see 'popular' used in conjunction with words like 'voto,' 'soberanía,' or 'voluntad,' it usually means that the item is directly connected to or derived from the citizens of a country.

Gente vs. Popular

Learners often confuse 'gente' and 'popular' because both relate to 'the people'. Remember that 'gente' is a noun for people themselves, while 'popular' is an adjective describing something that belongs to or comes from the people's culture.

Related Translations

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