أستاذ
ostezpolite, everyday
In everyday Lebanese Arabic you address a man politely as أستاذ (ostez), followed by his first name, as in أستاذ جورج (ostez George). It is also called موسيو (mosyo) and سيد (sayyed).
Meaning: polite title for a man (noun)
Ways to say it
| Lebanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| أستاذ | ostez | polite, everyday |
| موسيو | mosyo | French loan, polite |
| سيد | sayyed | formal, written |
أستاذ (ostez) literally means "teacher" but is used as a general respectful title for a man, in shops, offices and on the street. موسيو (mosyo) comes from French monsieur and is also heard.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
سيد (sayyed) is the standard Arabic "Mr." and appears on envelopes, forms and in news. In speech it is rare for ordinary politeness.
Did you know?
- French left many words in Lebanese speech, and موسيو (mosyo) is one of them.
Examples in context
- مرحبا أستاذ جورج.marhaba ostez George.Hello, Mr. George.
- تفضل يا أستاذ.tfaddal ya ostez.Please, sir.
Example conversation
A waiter greets a regular customer at a café in Hamra.
- Waiterصباح الخير أستاذ سامي.sabah el-khayr ostez Sami.Good morning, Mr. Sami.
- Samiصباح النور. قهوة من فضلك.sabah en-nour. ahwe min faddlak.Good morning. A coffee, please.
- Waiterأكيد، تكرم.akid, tikram.Of course, right away.
