noun
boss, manager
A1
Chef: masculine noun meaning 'boss' or 'manager' in German (false friend: English 'chef' is cook). Gender: der. Plural: Chefs (adds -s). Declines regularly: des Chefs, dem Chef. Used for workplace superiors; no special preposition. Pronunciation differs from English 'chef'. Common in formal speech.
Examples
Mein Chef ist sehr nett.
My boss is very nice.
Obwohl der Chef erklärte, dass die Regeln klar waren, diskutierten die Mitarbeiter weiter, weil die Vorschläge ungewöhnlich waren.
Although the boss explained that the rules were clear, the employees continued to discuss because the proposals were unusual.
Mein Chef hat mir ein neues Projekt gegeben.
My boss gave me a new project.
Details
Mnemonics
picture a person behind a desk giving orders
Der Chef — masculine (der) like many -f loanwords meaning a person.
Notes
False friend: 'Chef' in German means boss/manager, not 'chef' (cook).