die Kellnerin
waitress
A woman whose job is to serve guests in a restaurant, café, or bar, take orders, and serve food and drinks.
EXAMPLE
Die Kellnerin empfahl uns den Wein des Hauses.
The waitress recommended the house wine to us.
die Kellnerin
waitress
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word formation
The word is the feminine form of 'der Kellner' (waiter). The ending '-in' is often used in German to form the feminine version of job titles and other terms for people.
EXAMPLE
Der Kellner und die Kellnerin arbeiten im selben Restaurant.
The waiter and the waitress work in the same restaurant.
Typical actions
In everyday restaurant situations, certain verbs are typical: you can 'die Kellnerin rufen' (call the waitress), 'bei der Kellnerin bestellen' (order from the waitress), or 'die Kellnerin um die Rechnung bitten' (ask the waitress for the bill).
EXAMPLE
Wir sollten bei der Kellnerin noch zwei Gläser Wasser bestellen.
We should order two more glasses of water from the waitress.
Correct form of address
To get a waitress's attention, you politely say 'Entschuldigung!' (Excuse me!). The direct form of address 'Frau Kellnerin' is no longer used in modern German and sounds unnatural.
EXAMPLE
Entschuldigung, wir würden gern bezahlen!
Excuse me, we'd like to pay!
Compare with
Kellnerin vs Bedienung
service / operation
Both words can refer to a woman who serves guests in a restaurant. Bedienung is a more general term for a service worker and, depending on the context, can also mean the service itself. Kellnerin clearly refers to a woman whose job is to take orders and serve them.
Kellnerin
Die Kellnerin brachte uns die Speisekarten und nahm kurz darauf die Bestellung auf.
The waitress brought us the menus and took our order shortly afterward.
Bedienung
Die Bedienung brachte uns die Speisekarten und nahm kurz darauf die Bestellung auf.
The server brought us the menus and took our order shortly afterward.
In real life
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