“people”是复数还是单数名词?

集体名词,以单数形式出现,但实为复数.例如：
people police cattle 等本身就是复数,不能说 a people,a police,a cattle,但可以说a person,a policeman,a head of cattle,the English,the British,the French,the Chinese,the Japanese,the Swiss 等名词,表示国民总称时,作复数用,如The Chinese are industries and brave.中国人民是勤劳勇敢的.
回到“people”这个词,当它作为人；人们; 亲戚；家族; 某地方的人或人民；公民；平民解释时,为集体名词,是不可数的,如
The streets were crowded with people.大街上挤满了人.
The men who govern the country are chosen by the people.治理国家的人是由人民选择的.
当people作为民族解释时,是可数名词,如
The Chinese people are a brave and hard-working people.
中华民族是一个勇敢勤劳的民族.
注意：这里的people是民族之意,是可数名词.
比较：Chinese people are smart.中国人很聪明.
这里的people就是集合名词.