Spanish · People & Family
"Police officer" in Spanish: policía / policía
el policía / la policía
Police officer is el policía or la policía. The noun policía looks the same; gender lives in the article. La policía can also mean the police force as a whole.
Asking directions
El policía me indicó la calle.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce policía / policía
Say it
poh-lee-SEE-ah
/po.liˈsi.a/
poh-lee-SEE-ah. Stress SEE. Soft c like s in Latin America.
"Police officer" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| el policía / la policía | the police officer One officer, male or female. | One officer, male or female. |
| la policía | the police (force) The institution, not one person. | The institution, not one person. |
| oficial de policía | police officer Slightly more formal title. | Slightly more formal title. |
| llamar a la policía | to call the police Emergencies and reports. | Emergencies and reports. |
How to use policía / policía in real life
- 1Asking directions
El policía me indicó la calle.
The police officer showed me the street.
El policía for a male officer.
- 2At a checkpoint
La policía pidió mi licencia.
The police officer asked for my license.
La policía can mean a female officer here.
- 3Crowd control
Los policías cuidan la plaza hoy.
The police officers are watching the square today.
Plural policías for several officers.
Mistakes English speakers make with policía / policía
Incorrect: Un police me detuvo.
Correct: Un policía me detuvo.
Use policía, not English police, for one officer.
Incorrect: Ella es el policía de aquí.
Correct: Ella es la policía de aquí.
Change el to la for a woman. The noun policía stays.
Good to know
Context tells you if la policía means one woman officer or the whole force. For the force, verbs are often plural: llegó la policía.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Reporting a lost wallet
ChatPal
Habla con el policía en la esquina.
Talk to the police officer on the corner.
You
La policía ya tomó mis datos.
The police officer already took my details.
ChatPal
¿Ustedes tienen una copia del reporte?
Do you have a copy of the report?
You
Sí, está en mi correo.
Yes, it's in my email.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Police officer" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Police officer" in Spanish
How is gender shown?
With the article: el policía, la policía. The noun matches both.
Person or police force?
One person needs el/la. The force is usually la policía.
Is policía feminine always?
The word looks feminine, but el policía is correct for a man.
How do I call for help?
Llama a la policía.
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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