Definition

Noun: * Waiter in a Chinese restaurant: A person, typically male, whose job is to serve customers in a traditional Chinese restaurant or teahouse. This term carries an archaic or historical nuance and is not commonly used in modern Vietnamese for general waitstaff.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông chủ quán gọi hầu sáng lại để ghi thêm món. (The restaurant owner called the waiter over to order more dishes.)
  • Trong các tiệm ăn Tàu ngày xưa, hầu sáng thường mặc áo dài đen. (In old Chinese eateries, the waiters often wore black tunics.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "hầu sáng" is considered somewhat dated. In contemporary Vietnamese, the more common and general terms for "waiter" are "bồi bàn" or "nhân viên phục vụ".
• It specifically evokes the image of traditional Chinese dining establishments, often from a bygone era, and may be used in historical narratives, period films, or for stylistic effect.

Variants and Related Words

• Bồi bàn (n): Waiter, waitress (modern, general term).
• Phục vụ (n/v): Service; to serve.
• Chạy bàn (v/n): To work as a waiter/waitress; a waiter/waitress (colloquial).

Synonyms

• Người phục vụ: Server.
• Gia nhân (archaic): Servant (broader, more archaic term).

Related Phrases/Idioms

• Làm hầu sáng / làm bồi bàn: To work as a waiter.
  • Anh ấy từng làm hầu sáng ở một tiệm mì. (He used to work as a waiter in a noodle shop.)

1. Waiter (in a Chinese restaurant)