chefe

Middle English

Noun

chefe

1. alternative form of chef

Adjective

chefe

1. alternative form of chef

Adverb

chefe

1. alternative form of chef

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from French chef; cognates include Spanish jefe and English chief. Doublet of chef, cabo, and caput.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʃɛ.fi/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʃɛ.fi/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʃɛ.fe/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈʃɛ.fɨ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈʃɛ.fɨ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃɛ.fɨ/

• Audio (Portugal (Porto)):

  (file)

• Rhymes: (Brazil) -ɛfi, (Portugal) -ɛfɨ
• Hyphenation: che‧fe

Noun

chefe m or f by sense (plural chefes, feminine (informal) chefa, feminine plural (informal) chefas)

1. chief, head, head man, boss

   Synonyms: gerente, administrador, capataz, controlador, feitor, organizador, superintendente, supervisor

2. chieftain

   Synonym: cacique

3. chef (the head cook of an establishment such as a restaurant)

   Synonym: (unadapted form) chef

4. (video games) boss

   Synonyms: chefão, boss

5. (heraldry) chief
6. (Brazil, colloquial, used in the vocative) A term of address for someone, typically a waiter

   Synonyms: grande, amigo

Derived terms

• carro-chefe
• chefado
• chefão
• chefe de estação
• chefe de estado
• chefe de família
• chefe de justiça
• chefete
• chefia
• chefículo
• chefinho
• comandante em chefe

Descendants

• → Tetum: xefe

Further reading

• “chefe”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2025
• “chefe”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
• “chefe”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2025, →ISBN
• “chefe”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025