Persona vs. personaje

The Spanish words 'persona' and 'personaje' might seem similar, but they have distinct meanings and uses.

Persona

The word 'persona' refers to a human being or an individual.
Ella es una persona muy amable.
(She is a very kind person.)
Solo una persona asistió a la reunión.
(Only one person attended the meeting.)
Cada persona tiene sus propios problemas.
(Every person has their own problems.)

Personaje

The word 'personaje' refers to a character in a story, play, movie, or any other narrative.
Don Quijote es un personaje famoso de la literatura española.
(Don Quixote is a famous character in Spanish literature.)
El personaje principal de la película es un joven valiente.
(The main character in the movie is a brave young man.)
Los personajes en esta novela son muy interesantes.
(The characters in this novel are very interesting.)

Summary

In summary, 'persona' is used to refer to an actual human being, while 'personaje' refers to a fictional character or figure in narratives.