厨师
chúshī
The English phrase 'chef' is translated into Chinese as 厨师 (chúshī).
The term 厨师 is a general word for someone whose profession is cooking. While English often distinguishes between a high-ranking 'chef' and a lower-ranking 'cook', 厨师 is used for anyone in the profession regardless of their specific rank.
Meaning: head cook of an establishment such as a restaurant (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 厨师 is composed of 厨, meaning kitchen and 师, meaning master or professional.
Which one should you use?
Depending on the specific role or status you wish to describe, other terms may be more precise than the general 厨师. If you are referring to the leading chef in charge of a kitchen, use 主厨 or 厨师长 (executive chef). To describe a chef based on their skill or fame, you can use 厨艺高手 for a skilled chef or 名厨 for a famous chef.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make 厨师 plural, you can add the suffix 们, resulting in 厨师们.
How do you pronounce it?
chúshī
Did you know?
- The concept of 'chef's skill' is often linked to the word 火候, which literally means 'fire strength' or 'heat control'.
- The word for kitchen, 厨, is also found in the name of many traditional Chinese household deities, such as the 'Kitchen God'. This links the professional role of a 厨师 to a sacred space in the home.
- While 厨师 is the professional term, you might hear a chef referred to as 师傅 (shīfu) in a restaurant. This term, meaning 'master', is a respectful way to address anyone with significant technical skill, not just teachers.
Examples in context
- 我们的厨师今天很忙。Our chef is very busy today.This sentence is useful for describing the current workload of a 厨师.Tatoeba #423657 by GlossaMatik, translation #423656 by CM
- 我们有一位非常好的厨师。We have a very good chef.This sentence is useful for expressing that you have a 厨师 of high quality.Tatoeba #427918 by GlossaMatik, translation #5321697 by bluedragon123
- 汤姆是有名的厨师。Tom is a famous chef.This sentence is useful for identifying someone as a 厨师 who is well-known.Tatoeba #9134163 by iiujik, translation #3068211 by Hybrid
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two people are talking about the food at a local restaurant.
- 志强 Zhiqiang这家店的厨师很厉害。Zhè jiā diàn de chúshī hěn lìhai.The chef at this restaurant is very talented.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen是吗？我也觉得很好吃。Shì ma? Wǒ yě juéde hěn hǎochī.Really? I also think the food is delicious.
- 志强 Zhiqiang那位厨师非常有经验。Nà wèi chúshī fēicháng yǒu jīngyàn.That chef is very experienced.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen难怪味道这么地道。Nánguài wèidào zhème dìdao.No wonder the flavor is so authentic.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
