7 Different Ways To Say Boss In Spanish: From Casual To Slang (With Examples)

Almost every language has its own hierarchy when you’re talking about the people who are above you in the work environment. In Spanish, there are also different words and expressions used to refer to these people.

Boss in Spanish is most of time called Jefe. But, there are other expressions – all depending on how you communicate in different contexts with your colleagues. In this blog post, you will learn how to say boss in Spanish in 7 different ways.

Let’s explore the Spanish vocabulary for boss!

1. Jefe/Jefa (Boss)

Jefe (masculine) or Jefa (feminine) is the most common way to say boss in Spanish.

It’s used in both formal and informal settings. You can use it to address your direct supervisor or refer to someone in a leadership position.

It’s widely understood across all Spanish-speaking countries.

2. Patrón/Patrona (Boss/Master)

Patrón (masculine) or Patrona (feminine) carries a more traditional connotation.

It’s often used in rural or labor contexts, similar to “master” or “employer.”

While it’s still common in some regions, it can sound outdated or overly deferential in modern corporate settings.

3. Gerente (Manager)

Gerente is a gender-neutral term that translates to “manager.”

It’s commonly used in business Spanish environments and has a professional tone.

You’d use this term to refer to someone who manages a department or a business, especially in corporate settings.

4. Supervisor/Supervisora (Supervisor)

Supervisor (masculine) or Supervisora (feminine) is a straightforward term used in many workplaces. It typically refers to a first-line manager or team leader.

This term is common in both office and industrial settings.

5. Encargado/Encargada (Person in Charge)

Encargado (masculine) or Encargada (feminine) means “person in charge.”

It’s an all-round term used in different contexts, from retail stores to project management. It’s less formal than “Gerente” but still respectful.

6. Director/Directora (Director)

Director (masculine) or Directora (feminine) is used for high-level management positions.

It’s a formal term often used in corporate, educational, or institutional settings. You’d use this to refer to someone who directs a department or organization.

7. Mandamás (Big Boss)

Mandamás is a colloquial term that translates to “big boss” or “top dog.”

It’s informal and can be slightly humorous! Use it in casual conversations with colleagues when referring to the highest-ranking person in an organization.

8. A real conversation with all the phrases for boss in Spanish about Scrabble

Here, on Effortless Conversations, we’re not the biggest fans of vocabulary tables and grammar rules. Instead, we like to talk about Spanish immersion, eg. with the best Spanish podcasts. And what better way to learn the Spanish language than with a real conversation?

Here’s one language example between María and Carlos, who play Scrabble, and use words like jefe or gerente for boss in Spanish. Check it now:

María: ¡He puesto ‘Jefe‘ en el tablero! (I’ve placed ‘Boss’ on the board!)
Carlos: Buena jugada. Yo añadiré ‘Patrón‘ aquí. Nos estamos quedando con el tema de liderazgo, ¿eh? (Good move. I’ll add ‘Boss/Manager’ here. We’re sticking with the leadership theme, huh?)
María: ¡Mira, puedo conectar ‘Gerente‘ con tu palabra! Y todavía me quedan fichas para más palabras de negocios. (Look, I can connect ‘Manager’ with your word! And I still have tiles left for more business words.)
Carlos: ¡Qué lista eres! Estás ganando por mucho. (How clever you are! You’re winning by a lot.)

9. Learn all the different translations of boss in Spanish with Conversation Based Chunking

Just as we stated previously, we like to have examples for everything, particularly when you’re learning Spanish grammar rules.

Why?

Well, because this way, you internalize all of these rules and the correct sentence construction, too, so you won’t even have to remember these grammar rules. You’ll already know all the nuances of them.

The question is: how?

Well, with Conversation Based Chunking, you’ll effectively explore the various chunks – the most common Spanish phrases – to express yourself in Spanish. You just have to keep an eye (and an ear) out for all the cultural things natives speak about, and surround yourself with Spanish everywhere you go.

After that, you just have to take a look at how you can incorporate these chunks into your own Spanish sentences. To help you on this language learning journey, you can immediately request your first FREE Spanish Chunking Starter Pack: