jefe
/ˈxefe/masculine
The Spanish word for chief is jefe.
jefe is used to describe the head of an organization. It is also the standard term used to mean 'boss' in a workplace context. A common specific phrase is jefe de policía, which means police chief.
Meaning: head of an organization (noun)
Which one should you use?
While jefe refers to a chief of an organization or a workplace boss, the related word principal is used as an adjective to mean primary or principal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the term cacique is used to refer to a tribal chief, often in the context of indigenous communities.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form is jefe, and the feminine form is jefa.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈxefe/
Did you know?
- In many Latin American countries, the phrase el jefe can be used euphemistically to refer to one's father, acknowledging him as the head of the household.
- The Spanish word jefe is a linguistic cousin of the English word 'chef'. Both words evolved from the Latin 'caput' meaning 'head'.
- Although jefe is the standard term for a boss, a person might call a street vendor or a shopkeeper jefe as a friendly, informal way to address them.
Examples in context
- Es el jefe de mi departamento.He is the chief of my department.This sentence is useful for identifying the chief of a specific department.Tatoeba #898439 by Shishir, translation #283724 by CK
- El problema torturaba al jefe.The problem tortured the chief.This sentence shows the word being used to describe a person experiencing a problem.Tatoeba #5267335 by Omnivoro, translation #43659 by rul
- Tom está almorzando con el jefe de policía.Tom is having lunch with the police chief.This sentence demonstrates the common phrase for a police chief.Tatoeba #1706246 by marcelostockle, translation #1418746 by Spamster
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are at the office talking about their boss.
- Javier¿Dónde está el jefe hoy?Where is the boss today?
- SofíaÉl tiene una reunión ahora.He has a meeting now.
- JavierNecesito que el jefe firme esto.I need the boss to sign this.
- SofíaDéjalo en su escritorio, Javier.Leave it on his desk, Javier.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chief” translations and entries jefe, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jefe, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
