This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
Kaminmantelsteine
Terminstopper

Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Aufenthalts-, Brotzeitraum

English translation:

break room

Added to glossary by British Diana
Jan 22, 2015 10:09
9 yrs ago
11 viewers *
German term

Aufenthaltsraum Brotzeitraum

German to English Bus/Financial Human Resources name for a certain room in a company building
My context is the premises of a small breeding station in Germany belonging to a world-wide operating seed company. About 40+ employees run a kind of experimental farm, which produces new varieties of certain crops, and some of them are learning English with me. One building is being revamped, and on the plan there are the usual offices, meeting rooms changing rooms, showers, etc. As there is no canteen on site, the employees have a kitchen/pantry area in a big Aufenthaltsraum which is also referred to among themselves as the Brotzeitaum or Sozialraum. Here the staff eat their sandwiches and spend their lunch hour and other breaks. Not sure if there are any kind of meetings there, too.
I have no idea what to call this room, especially what the employees (e.g. farm laborours) would call this in England or US. I want the informal term! Staff room sounds like a school, day room like a mental hospital, common room like an Oxford college and recreation room like an architectural term which is never actually spoken?
Any ideas, dear colleagues?
Proposed translations (English)
3 +4 break room
4 lounge /snack room
3 employee lounge
3 worker's hangout/coffee room
3 social room/cafeteria or social room/lunch room
3 mess room
2 relaxation area
Change log

Jan 22, 2015 10:55: Steffen Walter changed "Field" from "Other" to "Bus/Financial"

Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

Non-PRO (1): philgoddard

When entering new questions, KudoZ askers are given an opportunity* to classify the difficulty of their questions as 'easy' or 'pro'. If you feel a question marked 'easy' should actually be marked 'pro', and if you have earned more than 20 KudoZ points, you can click the "Vote PRO" button to recommend that change.

How to tell the difference between "easy" and "pro" questions:

An easy question is one that any bilingual person would be able to answer correctly. (Or in the case of monolingual questions, an easy question is one that any native speaker of the language would be able to answer correctly.)

A pro question is anything else... in other words, any question that requires knowledge or skills that are specialized (even slightly).

Another way to think of the difficulty levels is this: an easy question is one that deals with everyday conversation. A pro question is anything else.

When deciding between easy and pro, err on the side of pro. Most questions will be pro.

* Note: non-member askers are not given the option of entering 'pro' questions; the only way for their questions to be classified as 'pro' is for a ProZ.com member or members to re-classify it.

Discussion

Ramey Rieger (X) Jan 22, 2015:
Coffee barn? It's a term creation, but what the heck!
British Diana (asker) Jan 22, 2015:
"People sitting around in overalls and mucky wellies, enjoying a cuppa and munching sarnies or butties they brought from home", That is indeed the atmosphere I am trying to convey!
Ramey Rieger (X) Jan 22, 2015:
@Yorkshireman Check out https://www.google.de/search?q=Coffee Room&source=lnms&tbm=i...
It's everything from cozy to industrial
Yorkshireman Jan 22, 2015:
@Diana I just Googled on cafeteria in Images - the first bunch of pictures is exactly what I envisaged.

Lunchroom/lunch room brings up very much the same. As does refectory (more for students)

Break room pictures show much smaller and cosier rooms.
British Diana (asker) Jan 22, 2015:
images? Talking of images, it might help to google the images which some of these words bring up. Although you must also visualise rural farm workers and not slick city types sitting in them!
Yorkshireman Jan 22, 2015:
@Ramey A cafeteria or a lunch room/lunchroom is precisely what I see:-)

People sitting around in overalls and mucky wellies, enjoying a cuppa and munching sarnies or butties they brought from home.
Ramey Rieger (X) Jan 22, 2015:
@Yorkshireman I wish I had the time to play duelling dics, I've always loved that game! Here, I am more concerned with the instant image generated by the tranlsated term, and canteen/cafeteria is not iwhat I see. Enjoy your day!
Yorkshireman Jan 22, 2015:
@Ramey Please do - as if I could stop you - but I'm sticking to cafeteria, even though they warm up their food and make the hot drinks themselves (or each other). It would also be a term that is understood by staff and outsiders.

Definition of cafeteria:
a lunchroom or dining hall, as in a factory, office, or school, where food is served from counters OR dispensed from vending machines OR where food brought from home may be eaten.
Ramey Rieger (X) Jan 22, 2015:
@Yorkshireman I beg to differ. A canteen or cafeteria both indicate warm foods, or at least some foods being served, either for free or at low cost. The same applies to lunch room, which is usually in a school.
Yorkshireman Jan 22, 2015:
@Diana Not necessarily, workers would probably call it a canteen anyway - or even a staff kitchen, if they could warm up snacks for themselves.

That said, I would still vote for cafeteria - that is always understood as a place for a hot drink, a chat, a break and a snack.
British Diana (asker) Jan 22, 2015:
Wouldn't a canteen mean there was a member of staff serving food and drinks, there definitely isn't here? The pantry part is only so that the workers can make coffee and keep their drinks cool in a fridge , it might possibly have a microwave as well.

Proposed translations

+4
4 mins
Selected

break room

would be an option that immediately comes to my mind...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2015-01-22 10:14:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/breakroom
Note from asker:
Thank you, Manuela! This the most helpful idea for my context. German agricultural workers have several breaks during the working day, with names like "Zweites Frühstück", "Brotzeit" "Vesper" etc. so I like your suggestion.
Peer comment(s):
agree TonyTK
44 mins
thanks Tony
agree Heike Holthaus
1 hr
thanks Heike
agree BrigitteHilgner : I found "break area" in my "general" file, but there are far more google hits for "break room".
2 hrs
thanks Brigitte
agree philgoddard
21 hrs
thanks Phil
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks to all!"
15 mins

employee lounge

In some companies it is referred to as employee lounge.
Note from asker:
Thank you, Rosa!
Something went wrong...
1 hr

lounge /snack room

from the Big German Dictionary app
Note from asker:
Thank you, Donald. A bit too US for my purpose, though.
Something went wrong...
1 hr

worker's hangout/coffee room

the first is as informal as it gets, the second what it may be called in the US
Note from asker:
Thank you, Ramey! I can't really imaging anyone saying "See you at 12 in the workers' hangout." though
Something went wrong...
7 mins

social room/cafeteria or social room/lunch room

Not too sure whether a cafeteria has to serve food or not.

Could well be a lunch room even when the staff takes coffee breaks or breakfasts in it. Restroom would be misunderstood in US (it means toilets)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 mins (2015-01-22 10:18:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Farm labourers themselves would probably call it a canteen

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2015-01-22 11:30:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I could also envisage the workers calling it a staff kitchen, if they have an opportunity to warm up snacks and make tea and coffee for themselves.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2015-01-22 11:34:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Staff kitchen is even used for those little cubby holes in offices where you can make coffee. So it's not a matter of size or particular purpose.

That said, I would still vote for cafeteria - that is always understood as a place for a hot drink, a chat, a break and a snack.
Note from asker:
Thank you, Yorkshireman! I quite like these ideas and will keep looking out for evidence of use in my context.
Something went wrong...
3 hrs

relaxation area

I know this example is more for office staff, but I think the term is equally as suitable in a rural context.

Creating a relaxation area brings more integration between staff and allows them to re-energise themselves
https://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/news/5-ways-to-ensure-you...
Note from asker:
Thank you, Wendy! I find "area" too "open-plan". My one is definitely a room
Something went wrong...
1 day 3 hrs

mess room

I wonder if you could use this (in spite of the military/naval reference)?

Facilities for the farm operatives will include a shower and toilet, a meeting room which will double up as a farm workers mess room and kitchen.
http://forms.southkesteven.gov.uk/Planning Assets/S14-0935/A...

Related usage - railways

53213 Inadequate facilities at Paddington station
The mess room facilities are reported to be congested, with many of the tables and chairs broken. As the room is often crowded, it can at times become very noisy, which the reporter feels is not a suitable environment for staff to relax in during their break.
http://www.ciras.org.uk/report-library/train-operations/5321...
what's your(mess room)like??
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=526
Note from asker:
Thank you, Alison,. You almost convinced me. I will look out for this term being used!
Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search