dame
/dam/
In French, the word for lady is dame.
dame is a polite way to refer to a woman.
Meaning: polite: woman (noun)
Which one should you use?
While dame is a polite term for lady, the word femme is the standard, neutral term used to mean woman. If you wish to address a woman with respect and formality, use Madame, which can be used for both married and unmarried women regardless of their age.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of dame is dames, created by adding an 's' to the end of the word.
How do you pronounce it?
/dam/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use dame as a way to address a woman directly, such as saying 'Hey, dame!' In French, dame is used to refer to a woman in the third person rather than as a direct form of address.
Did you know?
- In the game of chess, the piece known as the 'Queen' is called la dame.
- The term grande dame is used in French to describe a woman of great distinction, influence, or high social standing, rather than just a physically tall lady.
- The word dame shares an unexpected linguistic ancestor with the English word 'domain', as both trace back to the concept of ownership and authority over a household.
Examples in context
- Il salua la dame.He saluted the lady.This sentence shows how to use dame when someone is saluting a woman.Tatoeba #333323 by sysko, translation #291251 by CM
- La dame est ma sœur.The lady is my sister.This sentence demonstrates using dame to identify a woman as a sibling.Tatoeba #6090115 by christian63, translation #6302505 by Gulliver
- Tu connais cette dame ?Do you know this lady?This sentence shows how to use dame when asking if someone knows a specific woman.Tatoeba #754965 by nimfeo, translation #754967 by CM
- Bonjour, Mademoiselle. Comment puis-je vous aider aujourd'hui?Hello, Miss. How can I assist you today?
- Tu viens à mam'zelle Dupont ce soir?Are you coming to Miss Dupont's place tonight?
- 92 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are at a park near a cafe.
- LucasEst-ce que cette dame est avec toi ?Is this lady with you?
- LéaNon, je ne connais pas cette dame.No, I don't know this lady.
- LucasElle semble très élégante.She seems very elegant.
- LéaC'est vrai, elle est charmante.That's true, she is charming.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry dame, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
