bonjour madame
The English phrase "good morning to a woman" is translated into French as bonjour madame.
bonjour madame is the standard way to say "good morning" or "hello" to a woman in French. While it literally translates to "good day madam", it functions as a standard morning greeting.
What does it mean word for word?
The word bonjour is a combination of bon, meaning "good" and jour, meaning "day".
Which one should you use?
Use bonjour madame when addressing a woman, but use bonjour mademoiselle instead if you are addressing a girl or a young woman.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
bonjour madame is a polite and respectful way to address a woman, especially when you do not know her name. You can also use the more specific formal form Bonjour, Madame [Last Name] to say "Good morning, Mrs./Ms. [Last Name]" if her surname is known.
Did you know?
- In France, the greeting bonjour is so culturally vital that ignoring it when entering a business can lead to the shopkeeper being noticeably cold or unhelpful to you.
- While madame is used for adult women, the French government has officially removed mademoiselle from administrative forms to ensure equality regardless of marital status.
- The phrase madame traces back to the Old French ma dame, which literally meant 'my lady'.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, Madame. Je suis ravi de faire votre connaissance.Good morning, Madam. It's a pleasure to meet you.
- Bonjour madame, comment allez-vous ?Good morning madame, how are you?
- Bonjour madame, vous avez passé une bonne nuit ?Good morning madame, did you sleep well?
- Bonjour madame, je vous souhaite une excellente journée.Good morning madame, I wish you an excellent day.
Example conversation
Gabriel greets Chloé at her office in the morning.
- GabrielBonjour madame, le café est prêt.Good morning madame, the coffee is ready.
- ChloéMerci beaucoup, Gabriel.Thank you very much, Gabriel.
- GabrielJe vous en prie.You are welcome.
- ChloéC'est très gentil de votre part.That is very kind of you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bonjour, madame, CC BY-SA 4.0.
