cook
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cook / chef
A male person whose profession is to prepare food, especially in a restaurant, cafeteria, or hotel.
Der Koch dieses Restaurants hat schon mehrere Auszeichnungen gewonnen.
The chef at this restaurant has already won several awards.
cook
A male person who is currently preparing food, even if it is not his profession.
Heute Abend bin ich der Koch, du kannst dich entspannen.
Tonight I'm the cook; you can relax.
The noun 'der Koch' (the cook) is derived directly from the verb 'kochen' (to cook). It refers to the person who performs the activity of cooking.
Er kocht gern, aber er ist kein professioneller Koch.
He likes to cook, but he is not a professional cook.
In a professional context, 'Koch' (cook/chef) is often combined with other terms, for example 'als Koch arbeiten' (to work as a cook), to be 'ein gelernter Koch' (a trained cook), or, as a special distinction, 'Sternekoch' (star chef).
Er ist gelernter Koch und hat in vielen Ländern gearbeitet.
He is a trained cook and has worked in many countries.
Whether it means the profession or just the current activity becomes clear from context. In private situations, 'der Koch' (the cook) often simply refers to the person responsible for the meal that day.
Wer ist heute der Koch? Ich habe großen Hunger!
Who is the cook today? I'm really hungry!
head chef
A Koch and a Küchenchef both prepare food in a professional kitchen. Koch refers to the profession or activity, while Küchenchef additionally implies managerial responsibility for the kitchen and its staff. Use Koch for the general activity and Küchenchef when the person runs the kitchen.
Der Koch bereitet für die Gäste heute ein vegetarisches Menü zu.
The cook is preparing a vegetarian menu for the guests today.
Der Küchenchef plant das Menü und teilt die Aufgaben im Team ein.
The head chef plans the menu and assigns tasks to the team.
