primeras

Primeras is the feminine plural form of the Spanish adjective primera, meaning first in order or time. It is used to modify feminine plural nouns and, by extension, to refer to the first items or people in a set. The word derives from Latin primus.

As an attributive adjective, primeras agrees with the gender and number of the noun it describes. Common examples include las primeras etapas (the early stages), las primeras noticias (the first news), and las primeras personas en llegar (the first people to arrive). In these uses, primeras simply indicates priority or initial occurrence without naming a specific group.

Primeras can also function as a noun phrase, especially when preceded by the definite article, to mean “the first ones.” For example, las primeras en responder serán premiadas (the first ones to respond will be rewarded). In literary or bibliographic contexts, the expression las primeras ediciones (the first editions) is frequently used to denote the earliest version of a work. Similarly, las primeras líneas or las primeras páginas may refer to the opening sections of a text.

Etymologically, primeras comes from primera, which ultimately traces to Latin primus, meaning first. While it is primarily a grammatical form, its use signals priority, novelty, or initial occurrence across various domains such as time, sequence, or edition.

See also: primera, primero, primeros, ediciones, etapas.