服务员
waiter; waitress; attendant
fúwùyuán
What does 服务员 mean?
服务员 (fúwùyuán) means 'service person' — the standard term for a waiter, waitress, hotel front-desk attendant, shop assistant, or any staff member whose job is to serve customers. Built from 服务 ('service') + 员 ('member / staff'), it's gender-neutral, age-neutral, and used for the entire service industry. Unlike English, where 'waiter' is a specific job title and you'd never shout it across a restaurant, 服务员 is also a vocative — calling out 服务员！ to flag down restaurant staff is the normal, expected way to get attention in mainland China. There's no Chinese equivalent of awkwardly raising your hand.
In more upscale contexts or when you want to be more polite, you can use 美女 (lit. 'beauty,' for a female server) or 帅哥 ('handsome,' for male) — but 服务员 is always safe. Compare with 老板 (lǎobǎn, 'boss / shop owner'), used for the proprietor.
Note: 服务员 is the standard way to call any service-staff member — waiter, hotel attendant, shop clerk. Calling out 服务员！ in a restaurant is normal and not rude; Chinese restaurant culture expects you to flag staff verbally rather than wait silently.
Character breakdown
to serve; clothing
affair; matter; service
member; staff
Memory hook: 服务 (service) + 员 (member) = service-staff member.
Measure word for 服务员
Example sentences
服务员，请给我一杯水。
Fúwùyuán, qǐng gěi wǒ yì bēi shuǐ.
Excuse me, can I have a glass of water please?
spoken
这家饭店的服务员很热情。
Zhè jiā fàndiàn de fúwùyuán hěn rèqíng.
The servers at this restaurant are very friendly.
neutral
服务员，买单！
Fúwùyuán, mǎidān!
Waiter, the check!
spoken
我哥哥在酒店做服务员。
Wǒ gēge zài jiǔdiàn zuò fúwùyuán.
My older brother works as an attendant at a hotel.
neutral
请问服务员在哪里？
Qǐngwèn fúwùyuán zài nǎlǐ?
Excuse me, where is the waiter?
polite
Common phrases with 服务员
Synonyms
店员 specifically means 'shop assistant / store clerk' — used in retail rather than food service. Use 服务员 in restaurants and hotels; use 店员 in clothing shops, convenience stores, etc.
侍者 is a literary/formal word for 'waiter / attendant,' rare in everyday speech. You'd see it in fiction or upscale menus, never shouted across a noodle shop.
Don't confuse 服务员 with
服务 is the abstract noun/verb 'service / to serve' (服务很好, 'the service is good'). Adding 员 turns it into the person who provides the service.
营业员 is a 'sales clerk / salesperson' in a shop or counter. Overlaps with 店员; both are different from a restaurant 服务员.
老板 is the 'boss / shop owner.' The owner of a small restaurant is the 老板; the staff working for them are 服务员. Don't mix the two.
FAQ
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