Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| contratar | /kontɾaˈtaɾ/ |
| emplear | /empleˈaɾ/ |
The English verb 'hire' can be expressed using contratar or emplear. The related noun empleado refers to a person who has been hired.
Which one should you use?
Use contratar when referring to the specific act of hiring an employee or signing a contract with someone. Use emplear to describe the general act of using labor or the state of employing someone, which is often seen in formal or economic contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the noun contratación is used to mean 'hiring'. In Spain, the phrase pillar curro is used colloquially to mean getting hired or getting a job.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When the object of the verb contratar is a specific person, you must use the personal 'a' before that person's name or pronoun, such as in contratar a [person].
How do you pronounce it?
/kontɾaˈtaɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use alquiler to mean 'hiring a person'. alquiler refers specifically to the rental of objects or property, such as a car or an apartment.
Did you know?
- While contratar means 'to hire' in a professional sense, it is also the word used when you 'book' a hotel room or a tour guide.
- The Spanish word emplear is a doublet of implicar, meaning they both originate from the same Latin root implicāre.
- The Spanish word empleado not only means 'employee' but is also used as a polite way to address a shop clerk or staff member.
Examples in context
- Quiero contratar a Tom.I want to hire Tom.This sentence shows how to use contratar with a person's name.Tatoeba #2169596 by hayastan, translation #2011412 by CK
- Nadie te va a contratar.Nobody's going to hire you.This sentence demonstrates the use of contratar in a negative context.Tatoeba #2093128 by marcelostockle, translation #2093051 by CK
- ¿Por qué te debería contratar?Why should I hire you?This sentence illustrates a question using contratar.Tatoeba #1993225 by marcelostockle, translation #1886455 by CK
- La empresa decidió contratar a un nuevo gerente.The company decided to hire a new manager.
- La organización está buscando emplear a personas con experiencia en ventas.The organization is looking to hire people with sales experience.
- Mi hermana está buscando pillar curro en una cafetería cercana.My sister is looking to get a job at a nearby café.
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are discussing their new business.
- SofíaNecesitamos contratar a un asistente pronto.We need to hire an assistant soon.
- AlejandroTienes razón, no tenemos tiempo para todo.You are right, we don't have time for everything.
- Sofía¿Dónde podemos contratar a alguien bueno?Where can we hire someone good?
- AlejandroPodemos publicar el anuncio en internet.We can post the ad on the internet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hire” translations and entries contratar, emplear, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries contratar, emplear, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
