bonjour madame
bonjour madame is the French way to say "good morning madam".
This phrase is a polite greeting used in the morning when speaking to a woman.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of bon (good), jour (day) and madame (madam/ma'am).
Which one should you use?
You should switch from bonjour madame to bonsoir madame once the late afternoon or evening begins.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Using madame after bonjour makes the greeting formal and respectful, which is suitable for strangers or superiors.
Did you know?
- In many French-speaking cultures, simply saying bonjour without adding madame or monsieur can actually be perceived as slightly abrupt or even impolite when addressing a stranger.
- The term madame carries a hidden sense of possession, as it traces back to the Old French 'ma dame', meaning 'my lady'.
- While madame is used for married women in English, in French it is the standard polite address for any adult woman regardless of her marital status.
Examples in context
- Bonjour madame, comment allez-vous ?Good morning madam, how are you?
Example conversation
Hugo greets Emma as she enters a small boutique.
- HugoBonjour madame.Good morning, madam.
- EmmaBonjour, monsieur.Good morning, sir.
- HugoPuis-je vous aider ?May I help you?
- EmmaOui, merci beaucoup.Yes, thank you very much.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bonjour, madame, CC BY-SA 4.0.
