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Collective nouns take singular verbs

When speaking Spanish, English speakers often trip over words like gente (people) and policía (police). In English, we treat these words as plural and say "people are" or "the police are arriving".

In Spanish, words that describe a group of individuals are called collective nouns. Even though they refer to multiple people, the words themselves are grammatically singular. This means they must always be paired with singular verbs and singular adjectives.

Word list
clasefA1 class La clase escucha = The class listens familiafA1 family La familia está unida = The family is united gentefA1 people La gente es amable = The people are kind grupomA1 group El grupo llega mañana = The group arrives tomorrow bandafA2 band La banda actúa = The band performs clubmA2 club El club organiza un torneo = The club organizes a tournament compañíafA2 company La compañía contrata personal = The company hires staff empresafA2 company La empresa ofrece descuentos = The company offers discounts equipomA2 team El equipo gana = The team wins gobiernomA2 government El gobierno anuncia medidas = The government announces measures grupomA2 band El grupo ensaya = The band rehearses poblaciónfA2 population La población aumenta = The population increases policíafA2 police La policía investiga = The police investigate audienciafB1 audience La audiencia escucha = The audience listens ejércitomB1 army El ejército avanza = The army advances equipomB1 staff El equipo trabaja aquí = The staff works here firmafB1 company La firma anuncia resultados = The firm announces results ligafB1 league La liga decide el calendario = The league decides the schedule matrimoniomB1 marriage El matrimonio viaja junto = The couple travels together multitudfB1 crowd La multitud espera = The crowd waits naciónfB1 nation La nación celebra su independencia = The nation celebrates its independence organizaciónfB1 organization La organización planifica = The organization plans orquestafB1 orchestra La orquesta toca = The orchestra plays parejafB1 couple La pareja vive aquí = The couple lives here parlamentomB1 parliament El parlamento vota = The parliament votes partidomB1 party El partido gana las elecciones = The party wins the elections personalmB1 staff El personal está preparado = The staff is ready públicomB1 audience El público aplaude = The audience applauds públicomB1 crowd El público está atento = The crowd is attentive pueblomB1 people El pueblo está unido = The people are united sociedadfB1 company La sociedad reparte beneficios = The company distributes profits sociedadfB1 society La sociedad cambia = The society changes ayuntamientomB2 city council El ayuntamiento aprueba el presupuesto = The city council approves the budget caballeríafB2 cavalry La caballería llega = The cavalry arrives comunidadfB2 community La comunidad ayuda = The community helps concejo municipalmB2 city council El concejo municipal vota hoy = The city council votes today coromB2 choir El coro canta = The choir sings familia nuclearfB2 nuclear family La familia nuclear vive junta = The nuclear family lives together humanidadfB2 mankind La humanidad afronta un reto = Humanity faces a challenge juradomB2 jury El jurado decide = The jury decides marinafB2 navy La marina participa = The navy participates muchedumbrefB2 crowd La muchedumbre avanza = The crowd advances prensafB2 press La prensa informa = The press reports sindicatomB2 trade union El sindicato negocia = The trade union negotiates tripulaciónfB2 crew La tripulación está lista = The crew is ready aristocraciafC1 aristocracy La aristocracia domina = The aristocracy dominates clase mediafC1 middle class La clase media crece = The middle class grows clase obrerafC1 working class La clase obrera protesta = The working class protests clientelafC1 clientele La clientela es fiel = The clientele is loyal cultomC1 cult El culto recluta seguidores = The cult recruits followers dinastíafC1 dynasty La dinastía gobierna durante siglos = The dynasty rules for centuries direcciónfC1 management La dirección comunica la decisión = The management communicates the decision etniafC1 ethnic group La etnia mantiene su lengua = The ethnic group maintains its language fuerza laboralfC1 workforce La fuerza laboral aumenta = The workforce increases género humanomC1 mankind El género humano comparte un planeta = Mankind shares a planet gerenciafC1 management La gerencia está informada = The management is informed grupo étnicomC1 ethnic group El grupo étnico conserva sus tradiciones = The ethnic group preserves its traditions noblezafC1 nobility La nobleza conserva privilegios = The nobility keeps privileges oposiciónfC1 opposition La oposición critica la ley = The opposition criticizes the law personalmC1 workforce El personal participa = The workforce participates plantillafC1 workforce La plantilla está completa = The workforce is complete resistenciafC1 resistance La resistencia lucha = The resistance fights unidadfC1 unit La unidad responde = The unit responds coaliciónfC2 coalition La coalición gobierna = The coalition governs consejo de ministrosmC2 cabinet El consejo de ministros decide = The cabinet decides gabinetemC2 cabinet El gabinete se reúne = The cabinet meets infanteríafC2 infantry La infantería avanza = The infantry advances senadomC2 senate El senado aprueba la ley = The senate approves the law
The most common culprits

The biggest traps for learners are gente, policía, and familia. You will often hear beginners say "la gente son", but because gente is a singular feminine noun, it requires a singular verb like es or está. Any adjectives describing the noun must also be singular.

La gente es muy amable aquí.
(The people are very nice here.)
La policía llegó rápido.
(The police arrived quickly.)
Mi familia vive aquí, pero mis padres viven en otra ciudad.
(My family lives here, but my parents live in another city.)
Teams, crowds, and staff

This rule applies to any singular noun that represents a group. Words like equipo, personal, público, and multitud all take singular verbs. Even though a staff or an audience is made up of dozens or hundreds of people, the grammatical container is just one single unit.

El equipo está preparado para el partido.
(The team is ready for the game.)
Todo el personal trabaja en este edificio.
(All the staff work in this building.)
El público aplaude al final del concierto.
(The audience applauds at the end of the concert.)

You will see this identical pattern with larger institutions like gobierno, ejército, and clase.

El gobierno anuncia nuevas medidas.
(The government announces new measures.)
La clase escucha al profesor en silencio.
(The class listens to the teacher in silence.)
Groups with "de"

There is one situation where things get slightly flexible. When you use a collective noun followed by de and a plural noun, such as un grupo de estudiantes or una multitud de personas, native speakers will sometimes use a plural verb because they are thinking about the plural noun at the end of the phrase.

However, using the singular verb to match the main collective noun is always perfectly correct and usually preferred.

Un grupo de turistas visita el museo.
(A group of tourists is visiting the museum.)
Summary

In Spanish, making words match rules supreme. If a noun is singular, its verbs and adjectives must be singular, regardless of how many people or things that noun actually represents.