dame
/dam/
The French word dame is the equivalent of the title 'Sir' used for a female knight.
dame is a noun used as a title for a female knight. In religious contexts, such as in the phrase Notre Dame, the word refers to 'Our Lady', specifically the Virgin Mary.
Meaning: title equivalent to Sir for a female knight (noun)
Which one should you use?
While femme is the common word for 'woman', dame is more formal and carries an elevated tone. When addressing a lady formally, such as 'Madam' or 'Mrs.', the term Madame is used instead.
How do you pronounce it?
/dam/
Did you know?
- In French card games, the 'queen' is called la dame, meaning the word is used for the playing card instead of reine.
- The word dame is a direct descendant of the Latin word 'domina', which literally translates to 'mistress of the house'.
- While dame is the root of the much more common title Madame, using dame on its own in modern casual conversation can sound slightly archaic or like something out of a period drama.
Examples in context
- C'est une noble dame.She actually is a dame.This sentence uses dame to describe a noble lady.Tatoeba #14020908 by Myrano_, translation #14020906 by Myrano_
- La cathédrale de Notre Dame à Paris date du Moyen Âge.Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris dates from the Middle Ages.This sentence uses dame as part of the name for Notre Dame Cathedral.Tatoeba #3258313 by Julien_PDC, translation #3258314 by sundown
- Sur une île de la Seine se trouve une grande église appelée Notre Dame.On an island in the Seine, there is a big church called Notre Dame.This sentence uses dame as part of the name for a church called Notre Dame.Tatoeba #11961 by Lulantis, translation #51356 by CM
- Madame, pourriez-vous m'aider avec ceci?Madam, could you help me with this?
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are visiting a medieval museum.
- ChloéRegarde ce portrait de la dame chevalier.Look at this portrait of the lady knight.
- LucasElle a l'air très courageuse.She looks very brave.
- ChloéOui, cette dame a mené plusieurs batailles.Yes, this knight led several battles.
- LucasC'est vraiment impressionnant.That is truly impressive.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry dame, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dame, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
