шеф-по́вар
šef-póvarmasculine
The Russian word for chef is шеф-по́вар (šef-póvar). Wiktionary also lists ста́рший ко́к (stáršij kók) and по́вар (póvar).
Meaning: head cook of an establishment such as a restaurant (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| шеф-по́вар | šef-póvar | masculine |
| ста́рший ко́к | stáršij kók | |
| по́вар | póvar | masculine |
The term is used to refer to the head cook of an establishment, such as a restaurant.
What does it mean word for word?
шеф-по́вар is a compound word made of the loanword шеф (meaning chef or head) and the Russian word по́вар (meaning cook).
Which one should you use?
While шеф-по́вар specifically denotes the head of a kitchen, по́вар is the general term for any cook. Additionally, ста́рший ко́к is another way to refer to a senior cook.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of шеф-по́вар is шеф-по́вара.
How do you pronounce it?
šef-póvar
Did you know?
- The word шеф is used in Russian far beyond the kitchen to refer to any boss, manager, or superior in a professional setting.
- While по́вар is the standard term for a cook, the word ко́к is used specifically for chefs on ships or in the navy.
- While по́вар is the standard word for a cook, the word куха́рь exists but is often perceived as archaic or slightly derogatory, similar to 'cook' versus 'chef'.
Examples in context
- Встречайте нашего повара-профессионала, который удивит вас изысканными блюдами.Meet our professional cook who will amaze you with exquisite dishes.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chef” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
