[Originally posted on 03/27/14 on the Duolingo French for English speakers forum by Remy]
“garçon” almost always means “boy”.
In very rare cases, it also means “waiter”:
- Ex: “I am calling the waiter in the restaurant” means “J’appelle le garçon dans le restaurant”.
Note that here the context is about restaurant trade. Besides, we usually use the word “serveur” or the phrase “garçon de café” instead of “garçon” (which would rather be used as an interjection, ex: “Garçon !”).
That is why “waiter” is NOT accepted as a translation for “garçon” on Duolingo.
Selected comments on original post
Am I right in thinking it’s actually quite rude to refer to your waiter as “Garçon!”, especially if he is older than you…? I was under the impression that “Monsieur” was far more commonly used (My parents asked me, when I was in Tunisia, why I wasn’t saying garçon to which I simply replied “They’re older than me and it feels kinda awkward/rude calling them ‘boy’ like some kind of servant” haha) as it shows more respect.
Sorry, can’t resist it, there is a very common joke in Los Angeles: “Oh, you’re an actor? Wow, really? Which restaurant?” Is this usage paralleled in France as an alternative to “garçon”?
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