bonjour madame
In French, the phrase for hi to a woman is bonjour madame.
bonjour madame is a standard and widely used greeting for women, translating to "Good day, Madam."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of bonjour (good day) and madame (madam/ma'am).
Which one should you use?
Use bonsoir madame instead of bonjour madame if you are greeting the woman in the evening, typically after sunset or around 6:00 PM.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the informal greeting salut, comment ça va? is widely used.
Did you know?
- While 'madame' is the standard polite form, using mademoiselle for a woman is increasingly rare in official French administration to avoid making assumptions about marital status.
- If you enter a small French boutique or a bakery, it is considered common etiquette to say bonjour madame to the shopkeeper before you even ask a question or look at the products.
- The word madame originally meant 'my lady', reflecting a time when the term was used to address a woman of high social standing or nobility.
Examples in context
- Bonjour madame, comment allez-vous ?Hello madam, how are you?
- Bonjour madame, je voudrais un café.Hello madam, I would like a coffee.
- Bonjour madame, vous avez l'heure ?Hello madam, do you have the time?
Example conversation
Lucas enters a small boutique to see Manon.
- LucasBonjour madame, est-ce que vous êtes ouverte ?Hello madam, are you open?
- ManonOui, bonjour ! Entrez, je vous en prie.Yes, hello! Please, come in.
- LucasMerci beaucoup.Thank you very much.
- ManonJe vous en prie, que cherchez-vous ?You're welcome, what are you looking for?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bonjour, madame, CC BY-SA 4.0.
