barman
/baʁ.man/masculine
The French word for bartender is barman.
barman is the standard term used to refer to a male bartender. In some informal contexts, French speakers may also use the English term bartender.
Meaning: person who works in a bar (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While barman is the standard term, it is common in many French establishments for customers to address the person behind the bar as serveur (server/waiter) instead of using the specific term for a bartender.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the profession in a general sense or specifically to a male worker, the masculine article le is used with barman.
How do you pronounce it?
/baʁ.man/
Did you know?
- In a traditional French café, the barman often handles the zinc, a slang term for the bar counter because they were historically made of zinc.
- In traditional French bistros, the person serving drinks may be called a garçon, which literally means 'boy'.
- While barman is common, a female bartender is often referred to as a barmaid, which is also a borrowed English term used in French.
Examples in context
- Je sais que Tom est barman.I know that Tom is a bartender.This sentence is useful for identifying someone's profession with barman.Tatoeba #7524784 by tras, translation #7520182 by CK
- Barman, je voudrais une boisson.Bartender, I'd like to have a drink.This sentence shows how to address a barman to order a drink.Tatoeba #730219 by U2FS, translation #434302 by lukaszpp
- Tu veux être un barman toute ta vie ?Do you want to be a bartender all your life?This sentence is useful for discussing a career as a barman.Tatoeba #5324483 by Aiji, translation #2049773 by CK
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are talking in a busy bar.
- LéaLe barman est très rapide.The barman is very fast.
- NathanOui, il connaît bien son métier.Yes, he knows his job well.
- LéaEst-ce que tu peux l'appeler ?Can you call him?
- NathanJe vais lui demander l'addition.I will ask him for the bill.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bartender” translations and entries barman, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
