madames
The English phrase "misses" translates to madames in French.
madames is the plural form of a title used to address or refer to women.
Did you know?
- The term madames can sometimes be used in a patronizing or sarcastic way to address women who are behaving in an overly assertive or 'bossy' manner.
- The word madame is a contraction of ma dame, meaning 'my lady', which mirrors the English 'milady' but is used as a standard everyday title.
- In English, 'misses' implies a change in marital status, but in many French contexts, using the title madame is a sign of respect that ignores whether a woman is married or not.
Examples in context
- Bonjour Madame Dupont, comment allez-vous aujourd'hui?Hello Mrs. Dupont, how are you today?
- Madame Lefèvre, pourriez-vous me transmettre le rapport?Mrs. Lefèvre, could you pass me the report, please?
Example conversation
Nathan greets Chloé and her colleagues in the office.
- ChloéBonjour madames, bienvenue au bureau.Hello ladies, welcome to the office.
- NathanMerci Nathan, c'est très gentil.Thank you Nathan, that's very kind.
- ChloéEst-ce que madames voulez un café ?Would you ladies like a coffee?
- NathanOui, nous acceptons avec plaisir.Yes, we accept with pleasure.
