Published November 25, 2023 • Updated July 19, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Gens vs. personnes — Meaning and Pronunciation
The French words les gens (m.) and les personnes (f.) both mean “people.” Les gens is collective and general, referring to people as an indefinite group, while les personnes refers to specific individuals who can be counted. Use les personnes after an exact number, as in quatre personnes (four people). Les gens is always plural, whereas personne can appear in both the singular and plural forms.
The IPA pronunciations of gens and personnes are /ʒɑ̃/ and /pɛʁ.sɔn/, which sound approximately like “zhahn” and “pehr-son.”
Example Sentences
Les gens = people in general
C’est un beau pays mais je n’aime pas les gens.
It’s a beautiful country but I don’t like the people.
Les gens dans ce pays fument de moins en moins.
The people in this country are smoking less and less.
Les personnes = specific individuals
Il y a trois personnes dans la salle de classe.
There are three people in the classroom.
Combien de personnes vont venir ce soir ?
How many people are going to come tonight?
When referring to yourself as a person, use personne.
Je suis une personne responsable.
I am a responsible person.
Peuple
There is a third and less frequently used way of saying people: le peuple. For example, “le peuple français”, meaning “French people” or “the French”.
Le peuple français vit bien.
French people live well.
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Related words and expressions
- tout le monde — everyone
- le peuple — the people; the nation
- la plupart des gens — most people
- les jeunes gens — young people
- les gens du pays — local people
- une personne âgée — an elderly person
- une jeune personne — a young person
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