Confusing German Word: “Chef” (m.) – This German word is actually the most common word for “boss” and typically has nothing at all to do with kitchens and cooking:

“Der Chef hat ihn gestern gefeuert.” – “The boss fired him yesterday.”
“Ich habe einen
netten Chef.” – “I have a nice boss.”

The English words “chef” and “chief” as well as the German “Chef” are all related to the Latin word “caput”, which means “head”, here in the sense of “head of operations.”

Female bosses are referred to as “Chefin” (f.).

Germans learning English will often mistakenly translate their word “Chef” into English as “chief”. Germans also commonly use the English word “Boss” to refer to their superiors at the workplace.