demoiselle
/də.mwa.zɛl/
The French word for "damsel" is demoiselle.
While it can mean a young woman of noble birth, in modern usage it is often used as a polite or slightly old-fashioned way to address or refer to a young woman.
Meaning: young woman of noble birth (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The related form Mademoiselle means Miss and is used to address an unmarried woman.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form is created by adding an 's' to the end.
How do you pronounce it?
/də.mwa.zɛl/
Did you know?
- In the world of entomology, a dragonfly is called a demoiselle in French. This name refers to the insect's slender and delicate appearance.
- The French government officially removed Mademoiselle from administrative forms in 2012. This change was made to treat women's marital status the same as men's.
- In many Romance languages, the word for 'damsel' is a diminutive of a word meaning 'lady', essentially translating to 'little lady'.
Examples in context
- Cette demoiselle est très élégante.This young lady is very elegant.
- La demoiselle attend dans le salon.The young lady is waiting in the salon.
- Une noble demoiselle est arrivée.A noble young lady has arrived.
Example conversation
At a formal ball in a large estate.
- EmmaLucas, regarde cette demoiselle.Lucas, look at this young lady.
- LucasElle est vraiment charmante, Emma.She is truly charming, Emma.
- EmmaEst-ce une demoiselle de la cour ?Is she a lady of the court?
- LucasJe pense que oui.I think so.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry demoiselle, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries demoiselle, CC BY-SA 4.0.
