The word “boss” symbolizes leadership, authority, and responsibility across cultures. Whether you’re addressing your workplace manager, a team leader, or someone in charge of a project, understanding how to say “boss” in different languages can be useful for business communication, travel, translation, and building cross-cultural respect.
This guide will teach you how to say boss in 70 different languages, with pronunciation and a simple example sentence to help you use it confidently.
How to Say Boss in 70 Different Languages
- Spanish (🇪🇸) – Jefe | Pronunciation: HEH-feh
Mi jefe es muy simpático. (My boss is very nice.) - French (🇫🇷) – Patron | Pronunciation: pah-TRON
Le patron est en réunion. (The boss is in a meeting.) - German (🇩🇪) – Chef | Pronunciation: shef
Mein Chef ist streng. (My boss is strict.) - Italian (🇮🇹) – Capo | Pronunciation: KAH-poh
Il capo è arrivato. (The boss has arrived.) - Portuguese (🇵🇹) – Chefe | Pronunciation: SHEH-fee
O chefe está ocupado. (The boss is busy.) - Dutch (🇳🇱) – Baas | Pronunciation: bahs
De baas komt later. (The boss is coming later.) - Russian (🇷🇺) – Босс (Boss) | Pronunciation: bohs
Мой босс на встрече. (My boss is in a meeting.) - Ukrainian (🇺🇦) – Бос (Bos) | Pronunciation: bohs
Бос працює зараз. (The boss is working now.) - Polish (🇵🇱) – Szef | Pronunciation: shef
Szef przyszedł rano. (The boss arrived early.) - Czech (🇨🇿) – Šéf | Pronunciation: shef
Šéf má schůzku. (The boss has a meeting.) - Slovak (🇸🇰) – Šéf | Pronunciation: shef
Šéf je v kancelárii. (The boss is in the office.) - Hungarian (🇭🇺) – Főnök | Pronunciation: FOO-nok
A főnök hívott engem. (The boss called me.) - Romanian (🇷🇴) – Șef | Pronunciation: shef
Șeful este ocupat. (The boss is busy.) - Greek (🇬🇷) – Αφεντικό (Afentikó) | Pronunciation: ah-fen-dee-KOH
Το αφεντικό είναι εδώ. (The boss is here.) - Turkish (🇹🇷) – Patron | Pronunciation: PAH-tron
Patron toplantıda. (The boss is in a meeting.) - Arabic (🇸🇦) – رئيس (Ra’ees) | Pronunciation: rah-EES
الرئيس مشغول الآن. (The boss is busy now.) - Hebrew (🇮🇱) – בוס (Bos) | Pronunciation: bohs
הבוס בעבודה. (The boss is at work.) - Persian (🇮🇷) – رئیس (Ra’is) | Pronunciation: rah-EES
رئیس در دفتر است. (The boss is in the office.) - Hindi (🇮🇳) – बॉस (Boss) | Pronunciation: boss
बॉस बैठक में हैं। (The boss is in a meeting.) - Urdu (🇵🇰) – باس (Boss) | Pronunciation: boss
میرا باس مصروف ہے۔ (My boss is busy.) - Bengali (🇧🇩) – বস (Bos) | Pronunciation: bos
বস এখন মিটিংয়ে আছেন। (The boss is in a meeting.) - Punjabi (🇮🇳) – ਬਾਸ (Boss) | Pronunciation: boss
ਬਾਸ ਦਫ਼ਤਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੈ। (The boss is in the office.) - Gujarati (🇮🇳) – બોસ (Boss) | Pronunciation: boss
મારો બોસ વ્યવસાયમાં છે. (My boss is in business.) - Marathi (🇮🇳) – बॉस (Boss) | Pronunciation: boss
बॉस आज दुपारी आले. (The boss arrived this afternoon.) - Tamil (🇮🇳) – மேலாளர் (Mēlāḷar) | Pronunciation: meh-LAAL-ar
மேலாளர் அலுவலகத்தில் இருக்கிறார். (The boss is in the office.) - Telugu (🇮🇳) – అధికారి (Adhikāri) | Pronunciation: uh-dhi-KA-ree
అధికారి ఇప్పుడు సమావేశంలో ఉన్నారు. (The boss is in a meeting now.) - Kannada (🇮🇳) – ಮೇಲಾಧಿಕಾರಿ (Mēlādhi Kāri) | Pronunciation: meh-LAA-dhi-kaari
ಮೇಲಾಧಿಕಾರಿ ಕಚೇರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದಾರೆ. (The boss is in the office.) - Malayalam (🇮🇳) – മേലധികാരി (Mēladhikāri) | Pronunciation: meh-luh-dhi-KA-ree
മേലധികാരി വന്നിരിക്കുന്നു. (The boss has arrived.) - Sinhala (🇱🇰) – මහජනධිපති (Mahajanadhipathi) | Pronunciation: ma-ha-jana-dhi-PA-thee
මහජනධිපති කාර්යාලයේයි. (The boss is at the office.) - Nepali (🇳🇵) – मालिक (Mālik) | Pronunciation: MAA-lik
मालिक अफिसमा हुनुहुन्छ। (The boss is in the office.) - Chinese (🇨🇳) – 老板 (Lǎobǎn) | Pronunciation: lao-BAHN
老板在开会。 (The boss is in a meeting.) - Japanese (🇯🇵) – 上司 (Jōshi) | Pronunciation: JOH-shee
上司は忙しいです。 (The boss is busy.) - Korean (🇰🇷) – 상사 (Sangsa) | Pronunciation: SANG-sa
상사는 지금 바쁘다. (The boss is busy right now.) - Vietnamese (🇻🇳) – Sếp | Pronunciation: sep
Sếp đang bận. (The boss is busy.) - Thai (🇹🇭) – หัวหน้า (Hua Nâa) | Pronunciation: hoo-ah NAH
หัวหน้าอยู่ในที่ประชุม. (The boss is in the meeting.) - Indonesian (🇮🇩) – Bos | Pronunciation: boss
Bos sedang di kantor. (The boss is at the office.) - Malay (🇲🇾) – Bos | Pronunciation: boss
Bos ada di pejabat. (The boss is at the office.) - Filipino (🇵🇭) – Amo | Pronunciation: AH-mo
Ang amo ay nasa opisina. (The boss is in the office.) - Mongolian (🇲🇳) – Дарга (Darga) | Pronunciation: DAR-gah
Дарга уулзалтад оролцож байна. (The boss is in a meeting.) - Kazakh (🇰🇿) – Бастық (Bastyk) | Pronunciation: BAS-tik
Бастық кеңседе. (The boss is in the office.) - Uzbek (🇺🇿) – Rahbar | Pronunciation: RAH-bar
Rahbar yig’ilishda. (The boss is in a meeting.) - Tajik (🇹🇯) – Раис (Ra’is) | Pronunciation: rah-EES
Раис дар коргоҳ аст. (The boss is at the workplace.) - Pashto (🇦🇫) – ریس (Rees) | Pronunciation: rees
ریس دفتر ته تللی دی. (The boss went to the office.) - Swahili (🇰🇪) – Bosi | Pronunciation: BO-see
Bosi yupo kazini. (The boss is at work.) - Zulu (🇿🇦) – Umphathi | Pronunciation: oom-PAH-thee
Umphathi usehhovisi. (The boss is in the office.) - Xhosa (🇿🇦) – Umphathi | Pronunciation: oom-PAH-thee
Umphathi useofisini. (The boss is at the office.) - Afrikaans (🇿🇦) – Baas | Pronunciation: bahs
Die baas is by die werk. (The boss is at work.) - Amharic (🇪🇹) – ኃላፊ (Halafi) | Pronunciation: ha-LA-fee
ኃላፊ ቢሮ ውስጥ ነው። (The boss is in the office.) - Somali (🇸🇴) – Maamule | Pronunciation: maa-MOO-leh
Maamulaha wuu yimid. (The boss has arrived.) - Hausa (🇳🇬) – Shugaba | Pronunciation: SHOO-ga-ba
Shugaba yana ofis. (The boss is in the office.) - Yoruba (🇳🇬) – Oga | Pronunciation: oh-GAH
Oga wa ni ọfiisi. (The boss is at the office.) - Igbo (🇳🇬) – Onye isi | Pronunciation: ON-yeh EE-see
Onye isi nọ n’ọrụ. (The boss is at work.) - Kinyarwanda (🇷🇼) – Umuyobozi | Pronunciation: oo-moo-yo-DEE-zee
Umuyobozi ari mu biro. (The boss is in the office.) - Twi (🇬🇭) – Panyin | Pronunciation: PAH-neen
Panyin no yɛ adwuma. (The boss is working.) - Wolof (🇸🇳) – Njël | Pronunciation: n-JELL
Njël bi nekk na ofis. (The boss is at the office.) - Quechua (🇵🇪) – Kamachiq | Pronunciation: ka-MA-cheek
Kamachiq wasiypi kachkan. (The boss is at the office.) - Aymara (🇧🇴) – Jilata | Pronunciation: hee-LA-tah
Jilata utaniwa. (The boss is in the house.) - Nahuatl (🇲🇽) – Tlatoani | Pronunciation: tla-TO-ah-nee
Tlatoani tlen mochipa. (The boss is always present.) - Haitian Creole (🇭🇹) – Chèf | Pronunciation: shef
Chèf la nan biwo a. (The boss is in the office.) - Creole (🇲🇺) – Patron | Pronunciation: pah-TRON
Patron la pe travay. (The boss is working.) - Esperanto (🌐) – Estro | Pronunciation: ES-troh
La estro estas en sia oficejo. (The boss is in the office.) - Latin (🇻🇦) – Praefectus | Pronunciation: pry-FEK-toos
Praefectus in officio est. (The boss is in the office.) - Catalan (🇪🇸) – Cap | Pronunciation: kahp
El cap és a l’oficina. (The boss is in the office.) - Basque (🇪🇸) – Nagusi | Pronunciation: nah-GOO-see
Nagusia bulegoan dago. (The boss is in the office.) - Galician (🇪🇸) – Xefe | Pronunciation: SHEH-feh
O xefe está na oficina. (The boss is in the office.) - Occitan (🇫🇷) – Cap | Pronunciation: kahp
Lo cap es a l’ofici. (The boss is in the office.) - Frisian (🇳🇱) – Baas | Pronunciation: bahs
De baas is oan it wurk. (The boss is at work.) - Norwegian (🇳🇴) – Sjef | Pronunciation: shef
Sjefen er på kontoret. (The boss is at the office.) - Swedish (🇸🇪) – Chef | Pronunciation: shef
Chefen är upptagen. (The boss is busy.) - Danish (🇩🇰) – Chef | Pronunciation: shef
Chefen er på kontoret. (The boss is at the office.)
Conclusion
From jefe to laoban, every language has its own way of expressing leadership and authority. Knowing how to say boss in different languages helps foster better communication and respect across cultures, especially in professional or formal settings. This universal word shows how language connects power and responsibility in every corner of the world.
