Mme
/ma.dam/
The French way to say "ms." is Mme.
Mme is a title used before the surname of a woman.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, the term Madame is commonly used in both formal and informal situations as a generic way to address women, regardless of marital status.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of Mme is Mmes, which is pronounced 'madames'.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ma.dam/. It has 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the English abbreviation 'Ms.' in French. However, the standard French equivalent for a woman is Mme.
Did you know?
- The French government legally removed the title Mademoiselle from official administrative forms in 2012 to promote gender equality.
- In very formal French etiquette, a woman is often addressed simply as Madame without her surname, whereas in English, using just 'Madam' can sometimes sound overly stiff or archaic.
- In certain older French social circles, a woman might be addressed as Madame even if she is single, as a sign of respect for her adult status.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, Mme Martin.Hello, Ms. Martin.
- Est-ce que Mme Petit est là ?Is Ms. Petit here?
- Je dois parler à Mme Morel.I need to speak to Ms. Morel.
Example conversation
Lucas is a client visiting Manon at her office.
- LucasBonjour, Mme Morel.Hello, Ms. Morel.
- ManonBonjour, Lucas. Entrez, s'il vous plaît.Hello, Lucas. Come in, please.
- LucasMerci, Mme Morel.Thank you, Ms. Morel.
- ManonAsseyez-vous, je vous en prie.Please, have a seat.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Mme, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
