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.
'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.
colleague
'der Kollege' and 'die Kollegin' both refer to a person from work, from the same team, or from the same professional field. The difference is mainly the person's gender: 'der Kollege' is used for a man, and 'die Kollegin' for a woman. They can easily be confused because the professional relationship is the same. So pay attention to who you are talking about. In mixed groups, people often say 'Kolleginnen und Kollegen' (female and male colleagues).
Nach dem Gespräch hat meine Kollegin die Unterlagen noch einmal geprüft.
After the conversation, my colleague checked the documents again.
Herr Demir ist ein Kollege aus der Buchhaltung.
Mr. Demir is a colleague from accounting.