Italian · People & Family
"People" in Italian: gente / persone
la gente / le persone
People in Italian is la gente or le persone. Gente is singular feminine and takes singular verbs; persone is plural and counts individuals.
Crowded square
C'è troppa gente in piazza.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce gente / persone
Say it
JEN-teh / pehr-SOH-neh
/ˈdʒɛn.te/ /perˈso.ne/
Gente is JEN-teh. Persone is pehr-SOH-neh. Stress SOH in persone.
"People" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| la gente | people (as a mass) Crowds and general public. | Crowds and general public. |
| le persone | people / persons Countable individuals. | Countable individuals. |
| tanta gente | lots of people Crowds. | Crowds. |
| molte persone | many people Countable many. | Countable many. |
How to use gente / persone in real life
- 1Crowded square
C'è troppa gente in piazza.
There are too many people in the square.
Gente with singular c'è.
- 2Guest list
Quante persone vengono a cena?
How many people are coming to dinner?
Persone countable.
- 3Opinion
La gente qui è molto gentile.
People here are very kind.
La gente + singular è.
Mistakes English speakers make with gente / persone
Incorrect: La gente sono simpatici.
Correct: La gente è simpatica.
Gente takes singular agreement.
Incorrect: Molte gente.
Correct: Tanta gente / molte persone.
Gente uses tanta/molta; persone uses molte.
Good to know
Italians switch freely: gente for the crowd vibe, persone when counting seats or tickets. Both sound natural; agreement is the part to watch.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Choosing a restaurant
ChatPal
C'è troppa gente in quel locale?
Are there too many people in that place?
You
Sì. Preferisco poche persone al tavolo.
Yes. I prefer few people at the table.
ChatPal
Allora andiamo dove c'è meno gente.
Then let's go where there are fewer people.
You
Ok. Prenoto per quattro persone.
Ok. I'll book for four people.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"People" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "People" in Italian
Gente or persone?
Gente for mass/crowd; persone to count people.
Singular or plural verb with gente?
Singular: la gente è.
How do I say many people?
Tanta gente or molte persone.
People as nation?
Often il popolo for a people/nation.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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