llama a tu jefe
/ʝama a tu xefe/from spelling rules
To call your boss in Spanish is llama a tu jefe.
This phrase is used to instruct someone to contact their employer or person in charge via telephone.
Which one should you use?
Other formal variations exist, such as Comuníquese con su superior (Get in touch with your superior), Haga una llamada a su gerente (Make a call to your manager) or Contacte a su supervisor (Contact your supervisor).
How does it change in a sentence?
The form llama a tu jefe is an informal imperative command used when speaking to someone you address as tú. The formal imperative command used when speaking to someone you address as usted is llame a su jefe. If you are talking about the general concept or the action itself, you use the infinitive llamar a tu jefe. Additionally, if the boss is female, you change the masculine noun jefe to the feminine jefa (e.g., tu jefa).
Did you know?
- The word jefe is a linguistic relative of the English word 'chef'. Both words trace their roots back to the Latin 'caput' meaning 'head'.
- The word llama in the phrase llama a tu jefe is a homograph that can mean 'flame' or the South American animal 'llama', even though they come from entirely different origins.
- While llama a tu jefe is a direct command, using the formal llame a su jefe is not just about politeness but often signals a rigid professional hierarchy.
Examples in context
- Hola, ¿puede llamar usted a su jefe para discutir un asunto urgente?Hello, can you call your boss to discuss an urgent matter?
- Llama a tu jefe ahora mismo.Call your boss right now.
- Si tienes un problema, llama a tu jefe.If you have a problem, call your boss.
- Llama a tu jefe para avisarle.Call your boss to let him know.
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are talking about a mistake at work.
- ElenaAlejandro, tienes que llamar a tu jefe.Alejandro, you have to call your boss.
- Alejandro¿Crees que sea una buena idea?Do you think it is a good idea?
- ElenaSí, llama a tu jefe para explicar todo.Yes, call your boss to explain everything.
- AlejandroEstá bien, lo haré ahora.Okay, I will do it now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, jefe, llama, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
