服務員 / 服务员
fúwùyuán
The English word 'waiter' can be translated into Mandarin as 服務員 / 服务员 (fúwùyuán) or 侍者.
Meaning: a server in a restaurant or similar (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 服務員 / 服务员 | fúwùyuán | |
| 侍者 | shìzhě | formal |
The term is used to describe a server in a restaurant or similar. In many Chinese restaurants, customers often call out 服務員 to get a server's attention.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 服務員 / 服务员 is composed of 服務 (fúwù), meaning 'to serve/service' and 員 (yuán), meaning 'personnel/member'.
Which one should you use?
侍者 is used in high-end, formal dining contexts or when referring to a professional server in a more literary or upscale sense.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
侍者 is considered a formal term.
How do you pronounce it?
fúwùyuán
Did you know?
- In many casual eateries, customers may skip the word 服務員 entirely and instead use 美女 ('beautiful woman') or 帥哥 ('handsome guy') to call a server's attention.
- If you are in a very local, bustling restaurant, you might hear customers call out 老闆 (lǎobǎn), which literally means 'boss', to get the attention of the person serving them.
- In some regions, if a server is older, a customer might use 大哥 ('big brother') or 大姐 ('big sister') to be polite, as calling an elder 服務員 can feel too impersonal.
Examples in context
- 服务员，请给我们菜单。Excuse me, waiter. Could we have the menu, please?
- 这家餐厅的服务很周到，服务员非常细心。This restaurant has excellent service. The waiters are very attentive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “waiter” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
