hombre de empresa
/ombɾe de empɾesa/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'company man' is translated into Spanish as hombre de empresa.
A person who is very loyal to their employer and puts the company's interests above their own.
How do you pronounce it?
/ombɾe de empɾesa/
Did you know?
- The word hombre in hombre de empresa traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰmṓ, which means 'earthling'.
- Because empresa can mean a 'difficult undertaking', describing someone as an hombre de empresa can occasionally hint that the person is capable of handling high-pressure or complex challenges, not just following orders.
- In Spanish, the word empresa is much more versatile than the English 'company', as it is also the standard word for a 'task' or a 'project'.
Examples in context
- Él es un auténtico hombre de empresa.He is a true company man.
- Como hombre de empresa, siempre prioriza el beneficio corporativo.As a company man, he always prioritizes corporate benefit.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are discussing a supervisor's promotion during a coffee break.
- Javier¿Crees que Luis conseguirá el ascenso?Do you think Luis will get the promotion?
- SofíaSeguro, él es un hombre de empresa.Surely, he is a company man.
- JavierEs cierto, siempre hace lo que la dirección pide.It's true, he always does what management asks.
- SofíaEso es lo que ayuda a su carrera.That is what helps his career.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, empresa, hombre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
