QUICK ANSWER
"Personal" is an adjective which is often translated as "personal", and "personnel" is a noun which is often translated as "el personal". Learn more about the difference between "personal" and "personnel" below.
personal(
puhr
-
suhn
-
uhl
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
1. (individual)
a. personal
From personal experience, I would advise you not to propose in public.Por experiencia personal, te aconsejaría que no le pidas la mano en público.
2. (private)
3. (in person)
a. en persona
I'll take personal care of your financial problems with the bank.Me encargaré en persona de tus problemas financieros con el banco.
4. (physical)
a. personal
The subway is proof that some people don't have a clue about what personal hygiene means.El metro es prueba de que hay personas que no tienen idea de lo que significa la higiene personal.
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
a. el anuncio personal (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Look, your personal has been published in today's newspaper!Mira, ¡han publicado tu anuncio personal en el periódico de hoy!
personnel(
puhr
-
suh
-
nehl
)A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
1. (staff)
a. el personal (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
The personnel are suffering from low morale due to understaffing.El personal tiene la moral muy baja por la falta de empleados.
2. (department)
a. el departamento de personal (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
I have to sign my contract and return it to personnel.Tengo que firmar mi contrato y devolverlo al departamento de personal.
b. la sección de personal (F)
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
If I'm out sick, I inform my manager rather than personnel.Si estoy ausente por enfermedad, le informo a mi jefe y no a la sección de personal.
