Serveur vs. garçon
In French, both 'serveur' and 'garçon' can refer to a waiter, the person who serves customers in a restaurant or café. However, usage and connotations can differ between these terms.
Serveur
A gender-neutral term that means 'waiter' or 'server'. It is the modern and preferred term in contemporary French.
Pouvez-vous appeler le serveur, s'il vous plaît ?
(Can you call the waiter over, please?)
Le serveur m'a apporté la carte des vins.
(The waiter brought me the wine list.)
Cette serveuse est très attentive aux clients.
(This waitress is very attentive to customers.)
Garçon
An older term for a male waiter. It is less frequently used today as it can be seen as outdated or impolite.
Garçon, l'addition s'il vous plaît!
(Waiter, the check please!)
'Garçon de café' était une expression commune dans le passé.
('Café waiter' was a common expression in the past.)
Il travaillait comme garçon dans un bistrot parisien.
(He worked as a waiter in a Parisian bistro.)
Summary
The term 'serveur' is a contemporary and gender-neutral word commonly used to refer to a waiter or server, while 'garçon' is an older term that refers specifically to a male waiter. The latter can be seen as old-fashioned or disrespectful and has fallen out of favor in recent years, making 'serveur' the preferable term in most contexts.