Retirado o jubilado?
The "word of the day" 9/12/13 is retirado. I have never heard this word used in Mexican Spanish. I have always used, and have heard, jubilado, when referring to being retired from work. "Soy jubilado." Which is more commonly used, and does this vary by country?
4 Answers
[Revise my English]
They are the same thing. In Spain both are used but jubilado is more common by far.
When people get retired (se jubila) they receive a pension (a fixed amount, other than wages, paid at regular intervals to a person) called pensión de jubilación or colloquially: la jubilación.
Jubilado comes from the word Jubileo or Jubilee with these meanings, among others:
A period of time (extraordinary jubilee) declared by the pope as a time of rejoicing, as for an anniversary, when a plenary indulgence is granted upon repentance and the performance of certain religious acts.
The completion of 50 years of existence, activity, or the like, or its celebration.
It is said that this period of 50 years was precisely the amount of time necessary to get retired of some activities or jobs. Then, the word jubileo began to be used in the meaning of work period fulfilled and ended in to cease the activity of an occupation because of the age and all the work provided.
Jubilado and pensiónado are far more common in Mexico but I do occasionally hear retirado.
I was talking to a man from Venezuela just ten days ago. He understood when I said "Soy retirado." He also told me that retirado and jubilado mean the same thing, but jubilado is more common.
Funny, I just had this conversation with a guy yesterday. He used retirado, which I had never heard (that I can recall). I of course told him I always heard and used jubilado.
