Tuesday, 3 July 2012

Patrón


Today's WOTD is: "patrón" = boss/ employer

In Spanish, the noun "patrón" is a masculine noun of Latin origin, the main meaning of which is boss/ employer. The noun “patrón” is often used with the related meanings of master/ skipper of a boat or a landlord.

The noun “patrón” may be used also to refer to a pattern or a standard.

A related describing word/ adjective is “patronal”, meaning employers' (see expression and example below). The plural form, “patronales” is very often used with the noun “fiestas” to refer to festivities in honour of a patron saint (see example below).

False Friends (Falsos Amigos)
Please remember that the English noun patron (“patrocinador” in Spanish) and the Spanish noun “patrón” are related but should not be used in most cases to translate one another!


Some commonly used expressions containing the words "patrón"/patronal” are:
  • Cortado por el mismo patrón (cast in the same mould);
  • Donde manda patrón no manda marinero (modism: the boss' orders are not to be questioned);
  • Fiestas patronales (patron saint's day);
  • Organización patronal (employers' organisation);
  • Patrón oro (gold standard);
  • Santo patrón (patron saint);

Some examples of the use of the word "patrón"/ “patronal are:
  • Están cortados todos por el mismo patrón (they are all cast in the same mould);
  • Me gusta ir a las fiestas patrónales de mi pueblo (I like going to the patron saint's day celebrations in my town);
  • Las organizaciones patronales negocian condiciones laborales con los sindicatos (the employers' organisations negotiate working conditions with the trade unions);
  • El patrón oro es un sistema monetario (the gold standard is a monetary system);
  • San Isidro es el santo patrón de Madrid (Saint Isidro is the patron saint of Madrid);

Love-Spanish.com loves the word "patrón" in the YouTube clip: Mañanitas al santo patron san Buenaventura, Nealtican


For more on the word "patrón", visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Patrón

*NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “patrón” in the link to hear the word pronounced.

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