cabeza de familia/hogar
feminine
In Spanish, 'head of household' is translated as cabeza de familia/hogar. If unsure, use cabeza de familia/hogar. Wiktionary also lists jefe/padre de familia/hogar.
Meaning: household role (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| cabeza de familia/hogar | feminine |
| jefe/padre de familia/hogar | masculine |
Depending on the context, you may choose a form that emphasizes the family unit or the domestic household unit.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase cabeza de familia literally translates to 'head of family'.
Which one should you use?
The term cabeza de familia focuses on the familial unit, whereas cabeza de hogar focuses on the domestic household unit.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, cabeza de familia is commonly used. In Mexico, jefe de la casa can be used to refer to the head of the household.
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify a female head of household, use the feminine form jefa de familia. For a group of heads of household, the plural form is jefes de familia.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking legal contexts, you might see pater familias used to describe the head of the household, a term inherited directly from Roman law.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, the term padre de familia is used to mean 'head of household' regardless of whether the person is actually the biological father.
- The word cabeza in this phrase shares a root with the English word 'captain', as both derive from the Latin word for 'head'.
Examples in context
- Juan es el jefe de familia.Juan is the head of the household.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “head of household” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
