Titles are used widely in French. - Monsieur for a man
- Madame for a woman or
- Mademoiselle for a young woman.
Titles are normally used by both parties where a service is being asked for and given, for example, in shops, banks, restaurants, cafés and hotels.
When greeting people or saying goodbye, the French always add Monsieur, Madame or Mademoiselle. When joining or leaving a group of people at a meeting or in a shop, you'll often hear Bonjour, Messieurs-dames! or just Messieurs-dames!, literally 'Ladies and Gentlemen.'
Titles are also used to address people you're not on first-name terms with. At work, people address colleagues by their surname, preceded by Monsieur..., Madame... or Mademoiselle..., and they always use vous, the formal address, with one another, even if they've worked together for years.
When followed by a surname, titles are shortened in writing (except in letters) to:
M., Mme, Mlle. |
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