Chef
[ʃɛf]masculine
The German word for boss is Chef. Wiktionary also lists Chefin.
Meaning: person in charge (noun)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Chef | [ʃɛf] (narrow) | masculine |
| Chefin | feminine |
The word Chef is a commonly used term for boss in German. The term Leiter refers to a team leader or someone who is in charge.
Which one should you use?
Chef is the masculine form, while Chefin is used specifically when referring to a female boss.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of Chef is Chefs.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often try to use the English word 'Boss' in German, but Chef is the much more natural and common term for a workplace superior.
Did you know?
- The word Chef is a 'false friend' to English speakers because it does not mean a 'cook' in German. If you want to talk about the person in charge of a kitchen, you should use the word Küchenchef.
- German has a specific word, Chefetage, which literally translates to 'boss floor'. It is used to refer to the executive level or the top management of a company.
- In very formal German business environments, people may avoid calling their boss Chef to their face. Instead, they use the person's last name combined with the formal pronoun Sie to maintain a professional distance.
Examples in context
- Wo ist der Chef?Where's the boss?This sentence is useful for asking for the location of the boss using the form Chef.Tatoeba #677027 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #544691 by CK
- Wo ist Ihr Chef?Where's your boss?Tatoeba #8319742 by Luiaard, translation #3826157 by CK
- Er ist ihr Chef.He's her boss.This sentence is useful for identifying someone as a boss using the form Chef.Tatoeba #13396205 by Waldelfe, translation #8537094 by CH
- Guten Morgen, Chef. Wie kann ich Ihnen helfen?Good morning, boss. How can I assist you?
- Guten Tag, Chef! Wie läuft der Tag?Hello boss! How's your day going?
- 385 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Julian are talking about their work in an office.
- LauraIst das dein neuer Chef?Is that your new boss?
- JulianJa, er ist sehr nett.Yes, he is very nice.
- LauraHat der Chef heute viel zu tun?Does the boss have a lot to do today?
- JulianJa, er hat viele Termine.Yes, he has many appointments.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boss” translations and entries Chef, Chefin, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
