bonjour mademoiselle
The English phrase "hello young lady" is translated into French as bonjour mademoiselle.
bonjour mademoiselle is a polite greeting used to address a young woman or a girl. It is a common phrase used by service staff, such as shopkeepers or waiters, when addressing a young female customer.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of bonjour (good day/hello) and mademoiselle (miss/young lady).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term mademoiselle is a polite way to address a young or unmarried woman.
Did you know?
- Since 2012, the French government has officially removed mademoiselle from all administrative forms. This means you will only see madame used for women on legal documents, regardless of their age or marital status.
- In certain traditional contexts, using mademoiselle to address a woman who is clearly married can be perceived as a compliment or a flirtation, as it implies she still looks very young.
- The word mademoiselle is a contraction of 'ma' and 'demoiselle', where 'demoiselle' traces back to 'domina', the female form of the Latin 'dominus' meaning 'lady' or 'mistress'.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, MademoiselleHello, young lady
- Bonjour mademoiselle, comment allez-vous ?Hello young lady, how are you?
- Bonjour mademoiselle, bienvenue à la bibliothèque.Hello young lady, welcome to the library.
- Bonjour mademoiselle, puis-je vous aider ?Hello young lady, may I help you?
Example conversation
A polite shopkeeper greets a young customer entering his boutique.
- GabrielBonjour mademoiselle, bienvenue dans ma boutique.Hello young lady, welcome to my shop.
- EmmaBonjour, je cherche un cadeau.Hello, I am looking for a gift.
- GabrielD'accord, je vais vous accompagner.Alright, I will accompany you.
- EmmaMerci beaucoup, c'est très gentil.Thank you very much, that is very kind.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bonjour, mademoiselle, CC BY-SA 4.0.
