colleague
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colleague / coworker
A female person with whom you work in the same profession, the same company, or the same team.
Ich habe das Projekt zusammen mit einer Kollegin aus der Marketingabteilung bearbeitet.
I worked on the project together with a colleague from the marketing department.
colleague
In a broader sense, a female person who works in the same field or holds a similar position, even if there is no direct collaboration.
Die Schauspielerin sprach in einem Interview voller Respekt über ihre ältere Kollegin.
In an interview, the actress spoke with great respect about her older colleague.
'Kollegin' (female colleague) is the feminine form of 'der Kollege' (male colleague). The ending '-in' is the standard form used to form the feminine version in many professions and roles.
Meine neue Chefin ist eine ehemalige Kollegin von mir.
My new boss is a former colleague of mine.
The word 'Kollegin' (female colleague) is the neutral and usual term throughout German-speaking professional life. It is used for female employees at all levels of hierarchy.
Ich muss das kurz mit einer Kollegin besprechen.
I need to briefly discuss that with a colleague.
Common adjectives are 'eine nette Kollegin' (a nice colleague), 'eine neue Kollegin' (a new colleague), or 'eine ehemalige Kollegin' (a former colleague). Typical verbs are 'mit einer Kollegin zusammenarbeiten' (to work together with a colleague) or 'eine Kollegin um Rat fragen' (to ask a colleague for advice).
Glücklicherweise habe ich sehr nette Kolleginnen in meinem Team.
Fortunately, I have very nice colleagues on my team.
The broader meaning can be recognized from context. When it is not about direct collaboration but about the same professional field, this is often made clear by phrases such as 'eine Kollegin aus der Branche' (a colleague from the industry) or by the professional context.
Die Ministerin traf sich mit ihren europäischen Kolleginnen zu einer Konferenz.
The minister met with her European colleagues for a conference.
female employee
Both words can refer to a woman working for the same company. „Kollegin“ presents her as someone you work with professionally, while „Mitarbeiterin“ emphasizes her membership in a company or organization. „Kollegin“ is more suitable when the focus is on working together, while „Mitarbeiterin“ is more suitable when the focus is on the employment relationship.
Anna ist meine Kollegin im Verkaufsteam und hilft mir bei dem Projekt.
Anna is my colleague on the sales team and helps me with the project.
Anna ist seit Mai Mitarbeiterin unseres Unternehmens.
Anna has been an employee of our company since May.
