Portuguese · People & Family
"Boss" in Portuguese: chefe / chefe
o chefe / a chefe
Boss in Portuguese is o chefe or a chefe. Same noun for any gender; the article shows who you mean. Meu chefe is everyday office talk.
Permission
Preciso avisar meu chefe antes de sair mais cedo.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce chefe / chefe
Say it
SHEH-fee
/ˈʃe.fi/
SHEH-fee. Soft Brazilian ch like sh.
"Boss" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| o chefe / a chefe | the boss Gender via article. | Gender via article. |
| meu chefe / minha chefe | my boss Possessive. | Possessive. |
| chefe imediato | direct manager Org charts. | Org charts. |
| os chefes | the bosses / management Plural. | Plural. |
How to use chefe / chefe in real life
- 1Permission
Preciso avisar meu chefe antes de sair mais cedo.
I need to tell my boss before leaving early.
Meu chefe.
- 2Praise
A chefe elogiou o relatório na reunião.
The boss (f.) praised the report in the meeting.
A chefe.
- 3Stress
Os chefes pediram prazo impossível de novo.
The bosses asked for an impossible deadline again.
Plural venting.
Mistakes English speakers make with chefe / chefe
Incorrect: Minha chefo chegou.
Correct: Minha chefe chegou.
The noun stays chefe for women too.
Incorrect: Meu boss mandou mensagem.
Correct: Meu chefe mandou mensagem.
Use chefe.
Good to know
Chefe is standard and not automatically rude. Patrão/patroa can sound more old-school or small-business. Soften requests with dá para…? even with your chefe.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Asking for remote work
ChatPal
Você já falou com a chefe sobre sexta home office?
Have you already talked to the boss about Friday remote?
You
Ainda não. Meu chefe antigo era mais flexível.
Not yet. My old boss was more flexible.
ChatPal
Manda um e-mail curto para a chefe hoje.
Send a short email to the boss today.
You
Vou redigir agora, com o motivo claro.
I’ll draft it now, with a clear reason.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Boss" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Boss" in Portuguese
Male vs female boss?
O chefe / a chefe — same word.
My boss?
Meu chefe / minha chefe.
Is chefe rude?
No — normal workplace noun.
Manager synonym?
Gerente is also common in companies.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
