Palabra Lexi · common words in Spanish
How to say "boss" in Spanish
"Boss" in Spanish is jefe, pronounced HEH-feh (stress on the syllable in capitals). It is a masculine noun (el jefe, plural los jefes). Also: jefa, a female boss.
| Spanish | jefe |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | HEH-feh |
| Meaning | boss |
| Gender | masculine: el jefe |
| Plural | los jefes |
| Frequency | #136 in the Palabra list of common Spanish words |
Pronunciation is spelled out in English, one syllable at a time, with the stressed syllable in capitals. The speaker button uses your browser's built-in Spanish voice. Gender and plural: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.
How to pronounce jefe
Jefe is pronounced HEH-feh, in IPA /ˈxefe/. Jefe has two syllables, HEH-feh, with the stress on the first. There is no written accent because the word follows the basic rule: words ending in a vowel, -n or -s are stressed on the second-to-last syllable.
- J is a rough h sound, stronger than the English h.
Listen: normal and slow speed, in your browser's Spanish voice. IPA: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.
Is jefe masculine or feminine?
Jefe is masculine, so it takes el (the) and un (a): el jefe. The plural is los jefes. The ending does not tell you the gender here, so learn the word together with its article: el jefe.
Example sentences
El jefe llega temprano.
The boss arrives early.
El jefe llegó tarde.
The boss arrived late.
El jefe llega a las ocho.
The boss arrives at eight.
"Boss" in Spain and Latin America
Other words you will hear
- jefa — a female boss
- patrón / patrona — employer, informal in much of Latin America
Regional words and roots: Diccionario de la lengua española (RAE). Spanish varies by region, so treat these as the most common patterns, not strict rules.
How to remember jefe
jefe [HEH-feh] sounds like the English “Jeff”. Picture this:
Jeff in a suit sits at a huge desk, pointing at workers and giving loud orders.
A sound-alike plus a vivid scene is the keyword method, a well-studied way to learn vocabulary. How it works.
Practice jefe
Two quick games, right here: no sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere.