colegas

Coleg as is the plural noun used in Spanish and Portuguese to refer to a person who shares a profession, organization, or activity with another; in English, the closest equivalent is colleague or peer. The term can denote coworkers, classmates, or fellow members of a professional or academic group.

Etymology: The word derives from Latin collega, meaning partner or associate in a shared task or institution. Through the Romance languages it became colega in several varieties, yielding the Spanish-colega and Portuguese-colega, with cole legas as the plural form used in everyday speech.

Usage: In workplace and academic contexts, cole gas identifies people who work in the same organization or study in the same course. It can carry neutral or friendly connotations depending on tone. In informal speech, phrases like “mis colegas” may refer to colleagues or close peers, while more formal contexts may use alternatives such as compañeros de trabajo or colegas de profesión.

Gender and pluralization: In Spanish, colega is masculine or feminine, and coleg as covers both genders in the plural as cole gas. In Portuguese, co lega follows similar gender rules, with the plural as colegas. The term often implies professional or social camaraderie rather than close friendship.

See also: Colleague; Compañero/Compañera; Companheiro/Companheira.