Inklingo

How to Say "to hire" in Spanish

English → Spanish

contratar

cohn-trah-TAR/kontɾaˈtaɾ/

verbA2general
Use 'contratar' when you mean to employ someone for a job, whether it's a permanent position or a specific project.
A professional manager in a suit shaking hands with a cheerful person who is holding a folder, signifying a new job hire.

Examples

La empresa necesita contratar a tres ingenieros nuevos.

The company needs to hire three new engineers.

Contratamos un equipo de limpieza para la oficina.

We hired a cleaning team for the office.

Si te contratan, tendrás un buen salario.

If they employ you, you will have a good salary.

Using the Personal 'a'

When 'contratar' refers to hiring a specific person or people, you must use the preposition 'a' before the person: 'Vamos a contratar a María.'

Forgetting the Personal 'a'

Mistake: “Quieren contratar un nuevo chef.”

Correction: Quieren contratar **a** un nuevo chef. (Always use 'a' before a direct human object.)

alquilar

al-kee-LAHR/alkiˈlaɾ/

verbA1general
Use 'alquilar' when you mean to rent something, like a car, an apartment, or equipment, for a period of time.
A person handing a set of keys to another person in front of a small apartment building.

Examples

Queremos alquilar un coche para ir a la playa.

We want to rent a car to go to the beach.

Ella alquila un apartamento pequeño en el centro.

She rents a small apartment downtown.

A perfectly regular verb

Alquilar follows the standard pattern for -ar verbs, making it very predictable and easy to learn.

Confusing the direction

Mistake: “Using a different word for 'rent out'.”

Correction: In Spanish, 'alquilar' means both to pay to use something AND to let someone use your property for money. The context tells you which is which.

Don't confuse hiring people with renting things

The most common mistake is using 'alquilar' for people. Remember, 'contratar' is for employing individuals, while 'alquilar' is strictly for renting objects or spaces.

Related Translations

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