Meaning
服务员 refers to a person whose job is to serve customers, most commonly in restaurants, cafes, hotels, or shops. It is a general, gender-neutral term for service staff. In restaurants, it specifically means a waiter or waitress who takes orders and brings food.
Usage
This is the standard, polite term used to address or refer to service staff in China. In restaurants, customers commonly call out '服务员！' to get attention. It's more formal than saying '小姐' (miss) or '师傅' (master), which are sometimes used but can sound dated or regional. The term is widely used in both formal and casual contexts.
Examples
- 01服务员，请给我一杯水。, .Waiter, please give me a glass of water.
- 02这家餐厅的服务员态度很好。.The servers at this restaurant have a very good attitude.
Characters
Measure words
- 个一个服务员
- 位两位服务员
Common collocations
- 叫服务员to call the waiter
- 餐厅服务员restaurant server
- 酒店服务员hotel attendant
Antonyms
Origin
The word combines 服务 (fúwù, 'service') with 员 (yuán, 'member/staff'). 服务 literally means 'to serve affairs' and 员 is a common suffix for professions and roles, making 服务员 literally 'service staff member.'