厨师 (chú shī) literally means 'kitchen master' — 厨 (chú) means 'kitchen' or 'cooking', and 师 (shī) means 'master', 'teacher', or 'expert'. Together, they form a compound noun meaning 'chef': a professional cook, especially one who prepares meals in restaurants, hotels, or other formal food service settings. Unlike the more general term 厨子 (chú zi), which can sound informal or even slightly dated, 厨师 is the standard, respectful, and widely used term in modern Mandarin.

The word emphasizes skill, training, and professional status — it’s not used for casual home cooks. You’ll hear it in job titles (e.g., 主厨 — head chef), restaurant menus, cooking shows, and culinary education contexts. It’s gender-neutral and applies equally to men and women. In everyday speech, it’s common to modify it with adjectives like 著名 (famous), 法国 (French), or 中餐 (Chinese cuisine) to specify expertise or background.