mi jefe
/mi xefe/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase for "my manager" is mi jefe.
The phrase is used to refer to the person who is in charge of a worker and oversees their tasks.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, it is common to use mi patrón or mi patrona to refer to a manager. In Argentina, mi superior or mi superior/a is used to refer to a manager in a formal setting.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word for manager changes from jefe to jefa depending on the gender of the person you are referring to.
Did you know?
- In some Caribbean contexts, a person might use el jefe jokingly to refer to a husband or wife to signify they are the one in charge of the household.
- The term patrón carries a heavy historical weight in Latin America, as it originally referred to the owner of a land estate and the laborers who worked it.
- Because jefe comes from the Latin word for 'head', it is a linguistic relative of the English words 'cap', 'captain' and 'chief'.
Examples in context
- Ayer, estuve hablando con mi jefe/a sobre el proyecto.Yesterday, I was talking to my manager about the project.
- Mi jefe es muy amable.My manager is very kind.
- Tengo que hablar con mi jefe.I have to speak with my manager.
- Mi jefe aprobó mis vacaciones.My manager approved my vacation.
Example conversation
Mateo and María are talking about work in a café.
- Mateo¿Cómo es tu nuevo trabajo?How is your new job?
- MaríaEs bueno, mi jefe es muy profesional.It is good, my manager is very professional.
- MateoQué bueno, ¿y te gusta la oficina?That's good, and do you like the office?
- MaríaSí, me gusta mucho.Yes, I like it a lot.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jefe, mi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
