monsieur
/mə.sjø/masculine
The French word for 'mister' is monsieur.
Monsieur is the standard title used for an adult male. It is common to use monsieur followed by a surname to address someone politely, whereas in English 'Mister' is often used alone or with a surname.
Meaning: title of adult male (noun)
Which one should you use?
While monsieur is used for adult males, madame is the equivalent title for adult females.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of monsieur is messieurs.
How do you pronounce it?
/mə.sjø/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the English word 'Mister' instead of the French monsieur when speaking French.
Did you know?
- The word monsieur is a linguistic relative of the English word 'senior', as both derive from the Latin word for 'elder'.
- The plural form messieurs is not just a simple pluralization of the sound, but it preserves an ancient spelling that traces back to the word 'messire'.
- In formal writing, the abbreviation for monsieur is M, whereas the abbreviation Mr. is seen as an English mistake in a French text.
Examples in context
- Oui, monsieur l'adjoint !Yes, mister deputy!This sentence shows how to address a deputy.Tatoeba #14034525 by zogwarg, translation #9071861 by rafaeldejesus8199
- Monsieur X est membre d'une secte.Mister X is a member of a cult.This sentence shows how to use the title before a name or placeholder.Tatoeba #1186509 by sacredceltic, translation #11677513 by tieguy
- Vous marchez sur des œufs, Monsieur.You're on thin ice, mister.This sentence shows how to use the title on its own.Tatoeba #4956916 by sacredceltic, translation #3390288 by _undertoad
- Bonjour, Monsieur Dupont. Comment allez-vous aujourd'hui?Hello, Mr. Dupont. How are you today?
- Salut, M. Dupont! Comment ça va aujourd'hui?Hi, Mr. Dupont! How are you today?
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé is greeting her teacher in the hallway.
- ChloéBonjour, monsieur !Hello, sir!
- LucasBonjour Chloé, comment vas-tu ?Hello Chloé, how are you?
- ChloéJe vais bien, merci monsieur.I am doing well, thank you sir.
- LucasC'est très bien. À tout à l'heure.That's very good. See you soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mister” translations and entries monsieur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
