Votre Majesté
/vɔ.tʁə ma.ʒɛs.te/feminine
In French, your majesty is translated as Votre Majesté. Wiktionary also lists sire.
Meaning: term of address (name)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Votre Majesté | /vɔ.tʁə ma.ʒɛs.te/ | feminine |
| sire | /siʁ/ | masculine |
Votre Majesté is a term of address. It is the formal way to say 'Your Majesty' in French.
Which one should you use?
Votre Majesté is a feminine form, while sire is a masculine and obsolete form.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase consists of the possessive adjective votre (your) followed by the noun majesté (majesty). Even when addressing a single person, the formal votre is used because the title itself implies a high level of respect and distance.
How do you pronounce it?
/vɔ.tʁə ma.ʒɛs.te/. It has 4 syllables.
Did you know?
- In the French Revolutionary period, these titles were abruptly replaced by citoyen or 'citizen' to strip the monarchy of its linguistic power.
- The word sire is closely related to the English word 'sire', used to refer to the male parent of an animal.
- The word sire is actually a shortened version of the Latin word for 'older', which is 'senior'.
Examples in context
- J'ai dit au roi : Votre Majesté, veuillez me pardonner !I said to the king: Your Majesty, please forgive me!This sentence demonstrates how to address a king using Votre Majesté.Tatoeba #1172087 by sacredceltic, translation #6318529 by carlosalberto
- Sire, avez-vous des ordres pour nous aujourd'hui ?Sir, do you have any orders for us today?
- Comment allez-vous aujourd'hui, Majesté ?How are you today, Your Majesty?
- Veuillez m'écouter, Votre Majesté.Please listen to me, Your Majesty.
Example conversation
Hugo is acting as a servant for Manon in a game.
- HugoQue désirez-vous, Votre Majesté ?What do you desire, Your Majesty?
- ManonJe veux un verre d'eau, s'il vous plaît.I want a glass of water, please.
- HugoJe vous apporte cela tout de suite.I will bring that to you immediately.
- ManonMerci, Hugo. Tu es très poli.Thank you, Hugo. You are very polite.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “your majesty” translations and entries Votre Majesté, sire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries majesté, sire, votre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
