Es el jefe.
He's the boss.
If he says you're staying late at the office today, you stay late. When you name who's in charge, el stays in front of jefe.
From Dr. House · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "boss" in Spanish
el jefe
nounmasculinefeminine: la jefaplural: los jefes
"Boss" in Spanish is el jefe, and a female boss is la jefa. Say it HEH-feh, with a j that sounds like a strong h from the back of the throat. To talk about your own boss, say mi jefe or mi jefa.
Hear "jefe" in real movie scenes
The boss, my boss, and a boss who is a woman. Each video starts and stops on that line.
¡Sííí! Ese es mi jefe.
Yesss! That's my boss!
At a running race, an employee cheers at the top of his lungs for the man who signs his paycheck. Mi takes the place of the article.
From The Office · Spanish audio
Tú no eres mi jefa.
You're not my boss.
Two female colleagues at the hospital argue about who gives the orders. A boss who is a woman is la jefa.
From The Town Doctor · Spanish audio
Jefe and other people in charge
From the office to the kitchen, plus one Mexican twist.
| Spanish | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| el jefe, la jefa | boss | The everyday word in any workplace. |
| el gerente, la gerente | manager | The person who runs a store, a hotel or a department. |
| el director, la directora | director, head | The head of a company, a school or a hospital. |
| el encargado, la encargada | person in charge | Whoever is running the shift or the shop today. |
| el jefe de cocina | head chef | The boss of a restaurant kitchen. |
| mi jefe, mi jefa | my dad, my mom | Informal slang in Mexico. At work, the words still mean boss. |
Tip: In casual speech, jefe can also be a friendly way to address a man, a bit like "boss" or "chief" in English: Gracias, jefe.
Grammar: el jefe, la jefa
Four points about the person in charge.
-e for him, -a for her
el jefe is a man, la jefa a woman. A group of bosses with at least one man in it is los jefes.El jefe or mi jefe
Point out who's in charge with the article: Es el jefe. A possessive replaces it: Es mi jefe.Boss of what
Add de and the area: el jefe de cocina, la jefa de ventas, el jefe de policía.The j sound
The Spanish j is a rough h made at the back of the mouth: HEH-feh. It has nothing in common with the j in jet.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Mi jefe es muy simpático.
My boss is very nice.
En primavera y en verano, mi jefe está de vacaciones.
In spring and summer, my boss is on vacation.
Aquí cerca. ¡Y mi jefa es mi madre!
Near here. And my boss is my mother!
No, es médica. ¡Y en casa, la jefa!
No, she's a doctor. And at home, she's the boss!
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗Mi jefe es Ana
✓Mi jefa es Ana
Ana is a woman, so her title takes the -a ending: jefa.
✗Es jefe (pointing out who's in charge)
✓Es el jefe
To single out the boss in a room, keep el in front.
✗JEH-feh (pronunciation)
✓HEH-feh
Breathe the j out like a rough h. Said with an English j, the word is hard to recognize.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
Free, and you don't need an account.
1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 29 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Jefe sounds a little like chef, and in a kitchen the chef is the boss. Picture the chef shouting orders: he's el jefe.
Questions about "boss" in Spanish
How do you say boss in Spanish?
El jefe for a man and la jefa for a woman. My boss is mi jefe or mi jefa.
What is the feminine of jefe?
La jefa. For several female bosses, say las jefas.
What does mi jefa mean in Mexico?
Among friends in Mexico, mi jefa can mean my mom and mi jefe my dad. At work, they still mean my boss.
How do you say "you're the boss" in Spanish?
Tú eres el jefe, or tú eres la jefa to a woman. With usted, it's Usted es el jefe.
