Spanish Phrase
¿Quién es el jefe de este departamento?
Meaning
The sentence asks for the identity of the person who holds the managerial position over the current department. It is a direct, polite way to inquire about hierarchy in a professional setting.
When to use
Use this question when you are new to a workplace, during a meeting where responsibilities are being clarified, or when you need to address the right person for a specific task.
✦Grammar Breakdown
¿Quiéneseljefedeestedepartamento?
¿Quién?
Interrogative pronoun meaning ‘who’. It always carries an accent on the í to differentiate it from the relative pronoun ‘quien’.
es (ser)
Third‑person singular present of the verb SER, used for identity, profession, or permanent characteristics.
el jefe
Noun phrase meaning ‘the boss’. ‘Jefe’ is masculine; the article must agree in gender and number.
de
Preposition that links the noun ‘jefe’ with the entity he/she is in charge of.
este
Demonstrative adjective meaning ‘this’. It agrees in gender (masculine) and number (singular) with ‘departamento’.
departamento
Masculine noun meaning ‘department’ (a division within a company, university, etc.).
🗨In Conversation
¿Quién es el jefe de este departamento?
Who is the boss of this department?
Es la señora Martínez; ella lleva el equipo desde hace tres años.
It's Mrs. Martínez; she has been leading the team for three years.
✕Common Mistakes
Quien es el jefe de este departamento?
Missing the accent; without it the word becomes a relative pronoun, not a question word.
El jefe de este departamento es quien?
Word order is unnatural for a direct question; the interrogative pronoun should start the sentence.
¿Quién es el jefe de este departamentos?
‘Departamentos’ is plural; the demonstrative ‘este’ is singular, so the noun must be singular too.
↔Alternatives
¿Quién dirige este departamento?
Who directs this department?
¿Quién está a cargo de este departamento?
Who is in charge of this department?
¿Quién es la persona responsable de este departamento?
Who is the person responsible for this department?
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking companies the word ‘jefe’ is used formally, but in more informal or modern environments you might hear ‘líder’, ‘responsable’ or simply the person's name. When addressing a superior, it’s polite to use ‘señor/señora’ plus the surname, especially in the first interaction.