Inklingo

How to Say "police officers" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “police officers” is “policías” — use 'policías' when referring to individual members of the police force in a general sense, or when the specific rank or type of officer is not important..

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policías

nounA1General
Use 'policías' when referring to individual members of the police force in a general sense, or when the specific rank or type of officer is not important.

Examples

Los policías nos ayudaron a encontrar la dirección.

The police officers helped us find the address.

guardias

/gwar-dyahs//ˈɡwaɾðjas/

nounA2General/Informal
Use 'guardias' for officers who perform security duties, often implying a lower rank or a specific role like civil guards or stadium security.
Two figures in simple uniforms standing rigidly on either side of a closed wooden gate, symbolizing protection.

Examples

Los guardias revisaron todas las bolsas antes de entrar al estadio.

The guards checked all the bags before entering the stadium.

Las guardias de seguridad se turnaron para vigilar la entrada.

The female security personnel took turns watching the entrance.

Gender Note: People

The singular form for a male guard is 'el guardia'. For a female guard, it's 'la guardia'. 'Guardias' is the plural for both.

Confusing Singular/Plural

Mistake: “Using 'un guardia' when referring to multiple people.”

Correction: Use 'los guardias' for multiple people, which is the word we are defining here.

General vs. Specific Roles

The most common mistake is using 'guardias' when referring to general police officers. Remember, 'policías' is the default term for any police officer, while 'guardias' often implies a specific security or lower-ranking role.

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