Collective nouns name a group or collection viewed as a single unit.
Definition
A collective noun is a word that describes a group of members — such as people, animals, or things — considered as one whole.
Examples in English
English Collective Noun
team
Group Referred To
a group of players
(1 of 5)
Usage in Spanish
In Spanish, collective nouns are also singular words that represent a whole group.
Key Point
You talk about the group as one entity, so you use singular grammar (e.g., verb agreement).
Examples in Spanish
Spanish Collective Noun
el equipo
English Translation
the team
Group Referred To
athletes, players
(1 of 5)
Sample Sentences
Spanish Sentence
El equipo gana el partido.
English Translation
The team wins the game.
(1 of 5)
Changing Meaning
Some collective nouns can have different meanings depending on context.
Examples
Spanish Word
el cabo
Meaning as Collective Noun
Sample Sentence
the cape (geographic), or a corporal (military rank)
El cabo es un lugar peligroso. / El cabo lidera el pelotón.
(1 of 9)
Plural Forms
You can make collective nouns plural to talk about multiple groups.
Examples
Spanish Word
el cabo
Meaning as Collective Noun
Sample Sentence
the cape (geographic), or a corporal (military rank)
El cabo es un lugar peligroso. / El cabo lidera el pelotón.
(1 of 9)
Summary
Collective nouns name groups as single units.
They are grammatically singular in Spanish.
Meaning stays about the whole group, not individuals.
You can pluralize them to refer to multiple groups.
Context is important for words with multiple meanings.
Collective nouns allow you to talk about groups efficiently and clearly in both Spanish and English.
Here are some common collective nouns in Spanish, organized by category.
People
Spanish Noun
el equipo
English Translation
the team
(1 of 14)
Animals
Spanish Noun
la manada
English Translation
the herd (mammals)
(1 of 12)
Things
Spanish Noun
el ramo
English Translation
the bouquet (flowers)
(1 of 13)
Animals — Wolves
Spanish Word
la manada
English Translation
the pack (general, especially mammals like wolves)
(1 of 2)
Usage Tips
Always use singular verb form with collective noun: El equipo juega.
Use plural form if emphasizing individuals within the group: Los miembros del equipo son talentosos.
Context will guide correct meaning, especially for ambiguous words.
Collective nouns are a useful part of vocabulary for describing groups in Spanish.
Here are some vivid examples of collective nouns in Spanish sentences.
People
Spanish Noun
el equipo
English Translation
the team
(1 of 14)
Animals
Spanish Noun
la manada
English Translation
the herd (mammals)
(1 of 12)
Things
These examples show how collective nouns function naturally in Spanish.
