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How to Say "server" in Spanish

English → Spanish

camarero

kah-mah-REH-roh/kamaˈɾeɾo/

nounA1general
Use 'camarero' when referring to a waiter in a restaurant or café, especially in Spain.
A smiling man dressed as a waiter, wearing a white shirt and black vest, holding a silver tray with a covered dish, standing in a simple restaurant setting.

Examples

Disculpe, camarero, ¿me trae la cuenta, por favor?

Excuse me, waiter, could you bring me the bill, please?

El camarero fue muy atento y nos recomendó un vino excelente.

The waiter was very attentive and recommended an excellent wine.

¿Dónde está el camarero? Necesitamos pedir más pan.

Where is the waiter? We need to order more bread.

Gender Matching

Remember to use 'la camarera' when referring to a female server, and 'el camarero' for a male server.

Calling Attention

Mistake: “Using '¡Oye!' (Hey!) to get the server's attention.”

Correction: It is much politer to say 'Disculpe' (Excuse me) or 'Perdón' (Pardon me) before saying 'camarero'.

mesero

/meh-SEH-roh//meˈseɾo/

nounA1general
Use 'mesero' for a waiter in a restaurant or café, commonly used in Latin America and often considered more gender-neutral.
A friendly waiter in a uniform holding a silver tray with a glass of juice and a plate of food.

Examples

El mesero trae la cuenta.

The waiter is bringing the bill.

El mesero fue muy amable con nosotros.

The waiter was very kind to us.

Le pregunté al mesero si el plato era picante.

I asked the waiter if the dish was spicy.

Masculine vs. Feminine

This word is used for a male waiter. If you are talking about a female server, change the 'o' to an 'a' to make it 'mesera'.

Using 'The'

In Spanish, you almost always need to use 'el' (the) before 'mesero' when talking about them, even if you wouldn't say 'the' in English.

Using the wrong word in Spain

Mistake: “Calling a waiter 'mesero' in Madrid.”

Correction: Use 'camarero' in Spain; 'mesero' is mostly used in Mexico and Latin America.

mozo

/MO-so//ˈmoso/

nounA2service industry
Use 'mozo' to refer to a waiter, often in a more traditional or slightly more formal service setting, or as a general term for someone providing service.
A waiter in a white shirt and black apron holding a silver tray with a glass of water.

Examples

¡Mozo! ¿Nos trae la cuenta, por favor?

Waiter! Could you bring us the bill, please?

El mozo nos recomendó el vino de la casa.

The waiter recommended the house wine to us.

Trabajó como mozo durante todo el verano para ahorrar dinero.

He worked as a waiter all summer to save money.

Using it as a Call

In countries like Argentina, it is perfectly polite to say '¡Mozo!' to get a waiter's attention, whereas in other places, it might sound a bit old-fashioned.

Gender and Endings

This word ends in 'o' because it refers to a male waiter. If the server is female, you change it to 'moza'.

Regional Confusion

Mistake: “Using 'mozo' for a waiter in Mexico City.”

Correction: Use 'mesero' in Mexico; 'mozo' there is often used for a house servant or maintenance worker, which might sound confusing.

servidor

/ser-vee-DOR//ser.βiˈðoɾ/

nounB2computer system
Use 'servidor' when referring to a computer system that provides services, or less commonly, a person serving food or drinks.
A smiling waiter wearing a uniform and apron, balancing a tray carrying a covered dish in a restaurant setting.

Examples

Necesitamos reiniciar el servidor de la oficina para restaurar la red.

We need to restart the office server to restore the network.

El servidor de la cafetería es muy amable.

The server at the cafeteria is very kind.

¿Podría llamar a un servidor para pedir la cuenta?

Could I call an attendant to ask for the bill?

Todos nuestros datos están almacenados en un servidor remoto.

All our data is stored on a remote server.

Gender Note

Remember that 'servidor' is the masculine form. If you are referring to a woman, the word changes to 'servidora'.

Technical Usage

In technology, 'servidor' is almost always the correct translation for 'server' (the machine that provides information), distinguishing it from the person who serves.

Person vs. Computer Server

The most common confusion is using 'servidor' for a person serving food. Remember that 'servidor' primarily refers to a computer server. For a human waiter, 'camarero' (Spain) or 'mesero' (Latin America) are the standard choices.

Related Translations

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