policía
nounCEFR A1High frequency
What does “policía” mean in English?
1.police officer
police officer (individual: un policía, una policía)
2.the police
the police (institution: llamar a la policía)
Example sentences
La policía controla la zona.
The police are controlling the area.
El policía me dio una multa.
The (male) police officer gave me a fine.
La policía me ayudó.
The (female) police officer helped me.
How to use it
Policía has two meanings: la policía (the police force, fem.) AND el/la policía (a police officer, gender-by-article). Carries an accent on the í.
Common mistake
Same word, two senses: 'la policía' = the force (always feminine); el/la policía = an officer (gender by article). Disambiguate by context.