madame
/ma.dam/
The French phrase madame is a polite way to address a woman.
madame is a formal way to address a woman. It can be used alone as a polite vocative without a name.
Which one should you use?
madame is used for married women or women of a certain age, whereas mademoiselle is used for young, unmarried women.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of madame is mesdames.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ma.dam/. It has 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use madame as a direct translation for 'Mrs.' followed by a surname in all contexts, but in French, madame is frequently used alone as a polite vocative without a name.
Did you know?
- In modern French administration and official documents, mademoiselle has been phased out in favor of madame regardless of a woman's marital status.
- Historically, the title Madame with a capital M was reserved for the wife of the King's eldest son or the most senior woman in the royal household.
- The term madame traces back to the Old French ma dame, which literally meant 'my lady'.
Examples in context
- C'est une autre Madame Curie.She is another Madame Curie.This sentence shows the use of madame before a surname.Tatoeba #488602 by mamat, translation #315719 by mamat
- Merci pour votre chaleureux accueil, madame.Thank you for the warm welcome, madame.This sentence shows how to use madame alone as a polite address.Tatoeba #10609876 by Igider, translation #10612400 by bitchoftheseus
- Puis-je vous aider, madame ?May I help you, madam?
Example conversation
Hugo is asking a woman for directions in the street.
- ChloéExcusez-moi madame, où est la gare ?Excuse me madam, where is the train station?
- HugoC'est tout droit, monsieur.It is straight ahead, sir.
- ChloéMerci beaucoup, madame.Thank you very much, madam.
- HugoJe vous en prie.You are welcome.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry madame, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries madame, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
