Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| patron | /pat.ɾɔn/ |
| amir | /amiɾ/ (from spelling rules) |
| şef | /ʃef/ |
Use patron when referring to an employer or the owner of a business. Use şef when referring to a supervisor, a department head or a head chef in a kitchen. Use amir when referring to a superior in a formal, hierarchical or military sense.
Which one should you use?
The different forms reflect different types of authority: patron is used for business owners or employers, şef is used for organizational heads or kitchen chefs and amir is used for formal or military-style superiors.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'his boss' or 'her boss', add the possessive suffix -u to patron, resulting in patronu.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of patron is /pat.ɾɔn/. The 'p' sound is like the [p] in 'pan', the 'r' is like the [t] in American English 'atom' and the 'n' is like the [n] in 'not'.
Did you know?
- While patron refers to a business owner, it is often used colloquially to address any man in a position of perceived authority, such as a shopkeeper or a taxi driver.
- Using amir in a non-military or non-governmental setting can sound intentionally cold or overly rigid to a native speaker.
- The word şef shares the same linguistic root as the English word 'capital', as both derive from the Latin caput meaning 'head'.
Examples in context
- Tom iyi bir patron.Tom is a good boss.This sentence is useful for describing a person's quality as a patron.Tatoeba #4687078 by deyta, translation #4667147 by CK
- O, patronu ile yattı.She slept with her boss.This sentence demonstrates how to use the possessive form patronu.Tatoeba #3187071 by duran, translation #2103112 by Hybrid
- Sen iyi bir patronsun.You're a good boss.This sentence shows how to address someone directly using the patron form with a suffix.Tatoeba #2725555 by Gulo_Luscus, translation #2548448 by CK
- Patronum bugün toplantıya katılamayacak.My boss cannot attend the meeting today.
- Amirim, proje için sizinle görüşmemiz gerekiyor.Sir, we need to have a meeting with you regarding the project.
- Şefim, bu ayki performans raporunu düzenledim.Boss, I have prepared this month's performance report.
- 515 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elif and Mehmet are discussing a work issue at a cafe.
- ElifMehmet, patron seni bekliyor.Mehmet, the boss is waiting for you.
- MehmetYine ne oldu Elif?What happened again, Elif?
- ElifRaporu hemen istemiş.He wanted the report immediately.
- MehmetHemen gidip konuşayım.I will go and talk to him right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boss” translations and entries patron, amir, şef, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amir, patron, şef, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
