女服務生 / 女服务生
nǚ fúwùshēng
The English phrase 'waitress' can be translated into Chinese as 女服務生 / 女服务生 (nǚ fúwùshēng). If unsure, use 女服務生 / 女服务生. Wiktionary also lists 服務員 / 服务员 (fúwùyuán).
Meaning: female waiter (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 女服務生 / 女服务生 | nǚ fúwùshēng |
| 服務員 / 服务员 | fúwùyuán |
In modern Chinese dining contexts, the most common and natural way to address or refer to a server regardless of gender is 服務員 / 服务员.
Which one should you use?
While 女服務生 / 女服务生 specifically specifies a female, 服務員 / 服务员 is the standard gender-neutral term used for any service staff.
How do you pronounce it?
nǚ fúwùshēng
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often over-specify gender in Chinese. While using 女服務生 / 女服务生 is grammatically correct, it can sound unnecessarily descriptive compared to the neutral 服務員 / 服务员.
Did you know?
- In Taiwan, you are more likely to hear 小姐 / 小姐 (xiǎojiě) used to address a waitress, whereas in mainland China, this same phrase can be a derogatory slang term for a prostitute.
- In many parts of mainland China, if you want to get a waitress's attention, you might shout 美女 / 美女 (literally 'beautiful woman') instead of using a formal job title.
- In many Chinese restaurants, you do not call a 服務員 / 服务员 by their title. Instead, it is common to shout 服務員 / 服务员 loudly across the room to get their attention.
Examples in context
- 请问，这家餐厅有侍应生吗？ (Qǐngwèn, zhè jiā cāntīng yǒu shì yìng shēng ma?)Excuse me, does this restaurant have a waitress/waiter?
- 我需要找一位女服务员。(Wǒ xūyào zhǎo yí wèi nǚ fú wù yuán.)I need to find a female server/waitress.
- 服务员，我要点菜。 (Fúwùyuán, wǒ yào diǎn cài.)Waitress, I would like to order.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “waitress” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
