cameriere
/ka.meˈrjɛ.re/masculine
The Italian word for waiter is cameriere.
cameriere is a noun used to refer to a person who serves food and drinks in a restaurant or similar establishment.
Meaning: a server in a restaurant or similar (noun)
Which one should you use?
While cameriere describes the profession, customers in a restaurant setting often use scusi (excuse me) or signore (sir) to get a server's attention rather than calling out the job title.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes based on gender and number. The feminine form for a waitress is cameriera, and the feminine plural for waitresses is cameriere. For a group of waiters, use the masculine plural camerieri.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable: /ka.meˈrjɛ.re/.
Did you know?
- Unlike in the US, where a cameriere might check on a table frequently, Italian servers typically let guests eat in peace and only approach when signaled.
- In historical contexts, a cameriere was not a restaurant worker but a 'chamberlain' who managed the private rooms of a royal or noble.
- The word cameriere shares a root with the English word 'chamber', coming from the Latin camera meaning 'room'.
Examples in context
- Tom è un cameriere.Tom is a waiter.This sentence is useful for identifying someone's profession using cameriere.Tatoeba #6765235 by Guybrush88, translation #2272888 by CK
- Sono il tuo cameriere.I'm your waiter.This sentence is useful for a waiter identifying themselves using cameriere.Tatoeba #3015048 by Guybrush88, translation #2248329 by CK
- Io chiamo il cameriere.I'm calling the waiter.This sentence is useful for describing the action of calling for a cameriere.Tatoeba #4839785 by Guybrush88, translation #1985097 by Sbgodin
- Scusi, cameriere. Mi porti il menu, per favore?Excuse me, waiter. Could you bring me the menu, please?
- 77 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Chiara are sitting at a restaurant table.
- MatteoScusa, dove si trova il cameriere?Excuse me, where is the waiter?
- ChiaraPenso che sia là vicino alla cucina.I think he is over there near the kitchen.
- MatteoVoglio chiedere al cameriere il conto.I want to ask the waiter for the bill.
- ChiaraAspetta, sta arrivando proprio ora.Wait, he is coming right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “waiter” translations and entries cameriere, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cameriere, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
