What is the Plural of People?

"We all came for the free snacks and T-shirts."

It depends. The word people is usually used as the plural of person so in that context to say PEOPLES is incorrect. Nevertheless, the word people also means a nation or an ethnic group (as in the Ecuadorian people for example) and in that context, it is correct to use such a word and make it plural. So for example the phrase "Pueblos del Mundo" can be translated into "Peoples of the World" 
BTW, the word people is used as the plural of person, can we say PERSONS? It is possible, only in certain legal contexts, but other than that the safest thing to do is not to use it.

Comments

Alejandra Del Valle said…
Peoples! I've read that a few times, and yes, it depends on the context. I've read it in geographical and political contexts but didn't know it referred to groups of people. I thought it could be used as a synonym for "people" in a more formal way. But the example of "ethnic groups" pretty much clarified that point for me. I look forward to using this word someday. One more for the vocabulary section in my brain!
July 21, 2021 at 4:15 PM
Manuel Erazo said…
I've read that before, but it is not common to do it. It depends of the context for example; in common situations the plural form will also be people.However, in more specific contexts, the plural form can also be peoples for example to enfazise various types of peoples. Asgardian people, small people, beautiful people, smart people, and so on.
July 21, 2021 at 4:26 PM
Cynthia Ramón Casal said…
I've seen this before and Persons and Peoples continue to sound horrendous to my ears. Nevertheless, is nice to remind ourselves about the proper way of speaking or using the words.
July 21, 2021 at 4:47 PM
Mendoza Párraga Martha said…
I think it is a very interesting fact that we should constantly remember so as not to make pronunciation mistakes.
July 21, 2021 at 6:23 PM
Johanna Arteaga said…
Oh, I learned about this before. It still seems interesting to me that we must be careful in the context we use those words.
July 21, 2021 at 8:48 PM
Torres Alvear Odette said…
I really liked this information because, when I speak I usually say those words a lot and, I always get confused because I don't know the correct way, but now that I know it, I hope I won't make a lot of mistakes when I have to refer to people in the plural or singular.
July 21, 2021 at 9:13 PM
Carlos León Moran said…
I didn't know we could use PEOPLES or PERSONS in a certain context, it's interesting and a bit weird too, since people is already the singular of person.
July 22, 2021 at 9:31 AM
Ginger Nicole Alvia González said…
I've heard some people who use them, but it is kind of weird since I prefer people to refer to a group of people.
July 22, 2021 at 9:59 AM
Saraí Pesantes Parreño said…
I heard about this topic some time ago, but I can't get used to those terms. It is too awkward for me to use them daily. However, they can be used in a certain context. 'Peoples' for an ethnic group is information I didn't know, but seems to be interesting.
July 31, 2021 at 8:55 PM
Emily Saca Salinas said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
July 31, 2021 at 10:15 PM
Emily Saca Salinas said…
I have not heard or read the terms 'Peoples' or 'Persons' often, but I found their use interesting. Honestly, I would not feel comfortable saying such words since I am really used to saying only 'People' or 'Person'. However, it is very likely that I will end up using them in certain contexts at some point.
July 31, 2021 at 10:16 PM
Ferruzola Martínez Rita said…
Thank you for clarify that. One time I heard the phrase "One world, one people" so I didn't get it the first time but now I understand it better.
August 1, 2021 at 3:15 PM
Joselyne Fernández said…
Good information. It's important to know this. I just said and know people as the plural of person. Great writing.
August 5, 2021 at 7:27 PM
Briggitte Vera said…
Interesting post! If I had seen the words "Peoples" or "persons" written in whatever magazine, I would have said that it'was a mistake. But now, it's great to know that those words can be used depending on the context.
August 12, 2021 at 11:34 PM
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