Titles are used widely
in French.
- Monsieur for a man
- Madame for a woman or
-
Mademoiselle for a young woman.
Titles are normally used by
both parties where a service is being asked for and given, for example, in
shops, banks, restaurants, cafés and hotels.
When greeting people or saying goodbye, the French always add
Monsieur, Madame or Mademoiselle. When joining or leaving a group of
people at a meeting or in a shop, you'll often hear Bonjour, Messieurs-dames! or just
Messieurs-dames!, literally 'Ladies and
Gentlemen.'
Titles are also used to address people you're not on
first-name terms with. At work, people address colleagues by their surname,
preceded by Monsieur..., Madame... or Mademoiselle..., and they always use vous, the formal address, with one another, even if
they've worked together for years.
When followed by a surname, titles are shortened in
writing (except in letters) to:
M., Mme, Mlle. |
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