шеф
šef
The Serbian word for boss is шеф (šef).
шеф refers to a person in charge, such as a chief or a manager.
Meaning: person in charge (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
шеф is common in everyday speech. For a more formal term used in official business contexts to refer to a director or high-level manager, you should use директор.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of шеф is шефови. When the boss is the direct object of a verb, use the accusative case form шефа.
How do you pronounce it?
šef
Did you know?
- In Serbian, you can use шеф as a friendly, informal term of address for a man you do not know, similar to how an English speaker might say 'boss' or 'chief' to a stranger.
- The word шеф is a linguistic traveler that originally came from the French word for 'head', passed through German, and finally landed in Serbian.
- Although шеф is used for a workplace leader, if you go to a restaurant, you might see a man called a шеф who is actually the head chef.
Examples in context
- Ти си нови шеф, зар не?You're the new boss, aren't you?This sentence is useful for identifying a new boss using шеф.Tatoeba #8849394 by Lebad, translation #8756905 by deniko
- Шеф је рекао да је хитно!The boss said it's urgent!This sentence is useful for conveying an urgent message from a шеф.Tatoeba #12397774 by Lebad, translation #682286 by Source_VOA
- Шеф ме је замолио да одем у Бостон.My boss had asked me to go to Boston.This sentence is useful for describing a request made by a шеф.Tatoeba #8882081 by Lebad, translation #8872106 by CK
- Molim vas, mogu li dobiti termin sa šefom?Excuse me, can I get an appointment with the boss?
- Gazda je zadovoljan našim napredkom.The boss is pleased with our progress.
- Čula sam da je nova šefica vrlo pristupačna.I heard that the new boss is very approachable.
- Moja gazdarica je jako zahtevna, ali i pravi lider.My boss is demanding, but also a true leader.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Marko and Marija are talking at the office.
- MarkoГде је наш шеф данас?Where is our boss today?
- MarijaШеф је на састанку у граду.The boss is at a meeting in the city.
- MarkoДа ли ће доћи скоро?Will he be back soon?
- MarijaМислим да долази за сат времена.I think he is coming in an hour.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries шеф, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
