German Colleagues & Teamwork Vocabulary
This set covers the vocabulary of office life: the people you work with (der Kollege, der Chef, der Mitarbeiter) and the structures that hold them together (die Zusammenarbeit, die Belegschaft, der Betriebsrat). One trap for English speakers: der Chef does not mean a cook. It means boss, and it's pronounced "shef" from the French. If you want a kitchen chef, that's der Koch.
Learn these 20 words
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All 20 words
plural: die Chefs
boss, chef
Wir haben eine neue Chefin. — We have a new boss.
plural: die Kollegen
colleague
Wie heißt die neue Kollegin? — What is the new colleague's name?
plural: die Mitarbeiter
employee
Unsere Firma hat sieben Mitarbeiter. — Our company has seven employees.
plural: die Betriebsräte
works council (m)
Der Betriebsrat wird Sie über die neuen Arbeitszeiten informieren. — The works council will inform you about the new working hours.
plural: die Betriebsrätinnen
works council (f)
Die Betriebsrätin wird Sie über die neuen Arbeitszeiten informieren. — The female works council member will inform you about the new working hours.
plural: die Chefinen
female boss
Das kann ich nicht allein entscheiden, da muss ich erst die Chefin fragen. — I can't decide that alone, I have to ask the female boss first.
plural: die Kolleginnen
female colleague
Mein neuer Kollege ist sehr nett. — My new female colleague is very nice.
plural: die Leitungen
management
Ab 1. Juli übernimmt Herr Meier die Leitung der Abteilung. — Starting July 1st, Mr. Meier will take over management of the department.
plural: die Mitarbeiterinnen
female co-worker
Die Mitarbeiterin hat den Bericht geschrieben. — The female co-worker wrote the report.
staff, personnel
Dieser Eingang ist nur für das Personal. — This entrance is only for staff.
plural: die Vertreter
representative, agent
Als Herr Dr. Müller in Urlaub war, bin ich zu seiner Vertreterin gegangen. — When Mr. Dr. Müller was on holiday, I went to his substitute.
plural: die Vertreterinnen
female representative
Als Herr Dr. Müller in Urlaub war, bin ich zu seiner Vertreterin gegangen. — When Mr. Dr. Müller was on holiday, I went to his substitute.
plural: die Vertretungen
representation, substitution
Herr Dr. Meyer macht für mich die Vertretung. — Mr. Dr. Meyer is substituting for me.
plural: die Zusammenarbeiten
cooperation
Sie sind der neue Kollege? Auf gute Zusammenarbeit! — You're the new colleague? Here's to good cooperation!
plural: die Arbeitskräfte
labor force / workforce
Die Arbeitskraft ist in dieser Fabrik knapp. — Labor is scarce in this factory.
plural: die Belegschaften
workforce / staff
Die Belegschaft des Unternehmens wächst schnell. — The workforce of the company is growing quickly.
plural: die Kollegen
colleague
Mein Kollege hilft mir bei diesem Projekt. — My colleague helps me with this project.
understaffed / undermanned
Das Unternehmen ist während der Urlaubszeit unterbesetzt. — The company is understaffed during vacation time.
to report to / be subordinate / be under
Sie untersteht dem Direktor der Marketing-Abteilung. — She reports to the director of the marketing department.
to network / link up
Wir vernetzen uns regelmäßig mit anderen Fachleuten aus der Branche. — We regularly network with other professionals from the industry.
How to learn this set
Most of the people-words here follow the same -e/-in pattern: der Kollege becomes die Kollegin, der Vertreter becomes die Vertreterin, der Mitarbeiter becomes die Mitarbeiterin. Learn one pair properly and the rest fall into place. Watch der Kollege specifically: it's a weak noun, so it takes -n in every case except nominative singular (den Kollegen, dem Kollegen, des Kollegen), which trips people up in speech. Also group die Belegschaft, das Personal, and die Arbeitskraft together as your "workforce as a whole" cluster, since English uses "staff" loosely for all three, but German picks between them depending on whether you mean the people, the labor, or the collective body.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Kollege and Mitarbeiter?
Der Kollege is a peer, someone on your level you work alongside. Der Mitarbeiter is broader and more formal, referring to any employee of a company regardless of rank, and it's the word you'll see in official documents or job titles.
Is der Chef the same as an English chef?
No. Der Chef means boss or manager, not a cook. The word for a kitchen chef in German is der Koch (or die Köchin for a woman).
What does Betriebsrat mean and why is it hard to translate?
Der Betriebsrat is a works council, an elected body of employees that represents staff interests to management under German labor law. English doesn't have a direct one-word equivalent because the concept itself is more formalized in Germany.
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