persone

Persone is the Italian plural of persona, meaning human beings or individuals. The term is used to refer to people in general as a group or to count and describe specific individuals. In Italian, persona is feminine, and its plural form is persone. The singular is una persona, and the definite plural is le persone.

Etymology and form: persona comes from Latin persona, originally meaning a mask or character and later extending to a person or role. In modern Italian, the plural changes from -a to -e, giving persone. This pattern mirrors other feminine nouns in Italian that form plurals with -e rather than -i.

Usage and nuances: persone is used for both approximate and precise references to people. It often emphasizes individuals or personal attributes when talking about rights, responsibilities, or actions (per example, diritti delle persone). It can be contrasted with gente, which is more collective or informal, and with individui or esseri umani for more formal or scientific contexts.

Grammatical notes: adjectives and determiners agree with the plural feminine form when describing persone (le persone innocenti, due persone responsabili). Numerals placed before the noun use the same agreement, as in tre persone. The phrase alcune persone or molte persone is common for “some people” or “many people.”

See also: persona (singular), gente, individui, diritti delle persone, identità.