French word

gens

Pronunciation

IPA/ʒɑ̃/

Meaning

  • masculine nounpeople

Example

Les gens attendent le bus.

People are waiting for the bus.

Illustration for gens (people)

More examples

Beaucoup de gens viennent au marché.

Many people come to the market.

Core concept

A group of people gathered or encountered without naming each person.

Common phrases

  • beaucoup de gens

    many people

Similar words

personnes: Individual people considered separately, especially when identities or numbers matter.
monde: People in a place or society considered as a general, indistinct whole.
foule: A large, tightly packed group of people gathered at an event or in a public place.

Definition in French

S'utilise pour parler de personnes en général, souvent pour évoquer une foule ou un groupe non spécifié.

Word origin

The French noun gens developed from Latin gens through Old French, while its modern meaning focuses on people as a collective rather than on a family or tribe.

Usage tips

  • Use beaucoup de gens for many people, not beaucoup des gens, unless a specific group has already been identified.

Opposites

Word lists with this word