In English there are many options for polite forms of addressing a person.
Towards man the forms Mr., Sir, Esq are used. , and in relation to a woman - Mrs., Ms., Miss, Madam.
Now let's look at each of them separately.
Form Mr. can be used when addressing a man, regardless of his age and marital status. The only limitation is the fact that it must be followed by the surname of the person being addressed:
Dear Mr. Ivanov, Dear Mr. Ivanov!
When addressing several persons it is used Messrs, and to the surnames themselves there is a plural ending. –s is not added and a period is not placed after the polite form:
Messrs Thomas and Smith
If the addressee's surname is unknown, then use Sir(Sirs when addressing several persons):
Dear Sirs, Dear Sirs!
As a synonym for the form Mr. in England they sometimes use the form Esq. However, it is placed not before the name, but after it, and, naturally, in this case the form Mr. absent:
Michael S. Johnson, Esq.
For reference: This form goes back to the word esquire esquire. In medieval England, an esquire was a knight's squire, and later this word came to mean one of the lower noble titles. This form was used in letters for some time, but is now becoming less and less common.
Form Mrs. (Mmes when addressing several women) is placed before (1) the surname or (2) the first and surname of a married woman or (3) the first and surname of her husband:
Mrs. Brown - Mrs. Brown
Mrs. Laura Brown - Mrs Laura Brown
Mrs. Peter Brown - Mrs. Peter Brown
For reference:
Mrs form is an abbreviation for mistress, which is read as . It is incorrect to assume that this is an abbreviation for missus/missis (although the readings of Mrs. and missus/missis are the same).
Why is this so?
The fact is that abbreviated forms of polite address are formed by adding the first and last letters:
Mr. = MisteR
Dr. =DoctoR
Mrs. cannot be a contraction of missus/missis since missus/missis does not have an r consonant, so it makes sense that
Mrs. = MistResSIn this case, missus/missis are used in the meaning of “wife, mistress”. They do not have abbreviations, since this is not a form of address that is placed before the surname. These words are typical for informal speech, for example, in a husband’s speech about his wife:
I promised the missus I"d be home by eleven - I promised my wife to be home by eleven.
Form Miss used in relation to an unmarried woman and must be followed by the surname:
Dear Miss Willis, Dear Miss Willis!
Form Ms.(read or) is the linguistic equivalent of the form Mr., since it is used in relation to a woman regardless of the fact of her marital status. This form was recommended by the UN in 1974 as a result of campaigns by various organizations for women's equality. It should be noted, however, that in everyday life this form is not used as often as in official correspondence, since most women prefer to use the Mrs form. (married) or Miss (unmarried). However, modern formal and even semi-official correspondence tends strictly to use the Ms form. This form must also be followed by the last name:
Ms. S. Smith to Mrs. S. Smith
Madam(Mesdames when addressing several women) is the most formal way to address a woman. This form can be called the linguistic equivalent of Sir, since it is also used when the recipient's last name is unknown:
Dear Madam, Dear Madam!
Dear Mesdames Dear madams!
In addition, this form is used in writing to refer to a high-ranking woman, married or unmarried, to a queen, princess, countess, daughter of a duke, maid of honor, as well as to a woman holding an official position; with job title ( Madam Chairman!)
The English language has long had its own speech etiquette. As you probably already know, there is no difference between the pronouns “you” and “you”, therefore, when addressing your interlocutor, it is important to choose not only intonation, but also the correct form; use the appropriate words and constructions correctly.
In a conversation, it is necessary to take into account the style of communication - for example, the official language requires strict adherence to all formulas of greeting and address, and a neutral style of communication (for example, with strangers, work colleagues, neighbors, etc.) may be simpler in expression.
With friends and relatives, a familiar style of communication can also be tolerated; in it, the forms of addressing the interlocutor will be completely different. Let's look at each style in more detail. Shall we?
How to address your interlocutor
We'll start with the safest option - ask how the recipient prefers to be addressed.
What should I call you?- What should I call you?
What should I call your sister / mother / the manager?- What should I call your sister/mother/manager?
Can I call you?- Can I call you [name]?
Is it okay if I call you?- Is it okay if I call you [friendly name]?
What's your name?- What is your name?
If you heard one of these questions addressed to you, then you can answer as follows:
Please call me.- Please call me [name].
You can call me.- You can call me [nickname or short name].
To attract the recipient's attention, use expressions:
Excuse me, Sir/Madam.- Excuse me, sir/madam.
“Pardon me, Sir/Madam.”- I'm sorry, sir/madam.
We’ve sorted out the general points, now let’s look at other forms of address.
To a woman
- Madam- a polite form of address by a man to a woman. Women usually do not address each other this way, unless, of course, you are a maid or servant and want to address the mistress of the house. In this case, this appeal will be appropriate.
- Mrs(an abbreviation for the word “Missus”) is a form of polite address to a woman. After the word "Mrs" you need to give the woman's husband's last name. It is worth remembering that the words "Mr" and "Mrs" are not used without surnames in spoken English, as this will sound vulgar.
- Miss- a form of address to an unmarried woman or girl. After the word, be sure to give your first or last name. “Miss” - no first name, no last name - is a form of address to a teacher, and it has also become a commonly used form of address to service personnel.
To a man
- Sir- this form of address does not require naming the interlocutor’s first or last name after itself. This is how they address strangers, men who are equal or older in age, social status or position.
- Mr(an abbreviation for the word Mister) - after this word you need to say the first or last name of the interlocutor.
- Son! Sonny! Boy!- a form of address by older people to unfamiliar young people.
- Young man, youth- this is how older people address young men.
To a group of people
When speaking orally to several addressees, the most appropriate form of address would be “ Ladies and gentlemen n!” - "Ladies and Gentlemen!". In a less formal atmosphere you may hear expressions such as “ Dear friends!” - "Dear friends!" or " Dear colleagues!” - "Dear Colleagues!", " Esteemed colleagues!” - "Dear Colleagues!"
If you suddenly have the honor of meeting someone from the royal family or a high-ranking person, then you should definitely know the correct form of address.
- Your Majesty- a form of address to the king or queen.
- Your Highness- to a prince or duke.
- Your Lordship- to a lord or judge of the Supreme Court.
- Your Honor- to the lower court judge.
- General/colonel/captain etc. - to a military man by rank: with or without last name.
- Officer, constable, inspector- to the policeman.
- Professor- with or without a surname, in the UK this is how a person with the title of professor is addressed. But in the United States, the address “Professor” is appropriate for any university teacher.
Speaking of informal communication, let's look at how you can approach friends and family members.
To friends
Of course, everyone knows the appeal “My dear friend!” - "My dear friend!" or “My friend” - “My friend!”, but not everyone knows that there are many synonyms for the word “friend”. For example:
In British English :
- Сhap: “Dear old chap, I’ve missed you!” - “Old man, I missed you!”
- Mate(also Australia, New Zealand): “Hey, mate, do you want to hit the pub?” - “Dude, would you like to visit the pub?”
- Pal(also popular in the US): “My most useful acting tip came from my pal John Wayne. Talk low, talk slow, and don't say too much." (c) Michael Caine - “The most useful acting advice was given to me by my friend John Wayne. Speak low, speak slowly and say little. (c) Michael Caine.”
- Crony: “I'm going to the pub with me cronies.” - “I went to the pub with my mates.”
- Mucker(Ireland): “What about ye, mucker? Are you in or out? - “Well, buddy? Are you in?
In American English:
- Homie: “Time to go, homie.” - “It’s time to set sail, buddy.”
- Home slice: “You’re coming with us tonight, home slice? - Sure thing! - “Are you coming with us tonight, buddy? “The stump is clear!”
- Amigo: “Hey, amigo, long time no see!” - “Hey, amigo, how many years, how many winters!”
- Buddy: “I’m going to have some beer with my buddy tonight.” - “Tonight my friend and I are going to drink a couple of foam drinks.”
- Bestie: “You and I - we are besties for life!” - “You and I are best friends for life!”
- Dawg: "Waddup, dawg? “Nothing, jus’ chillin.” - “What-how, buddy? “Nothing, I’m resting.”
- Fella: “Good to see you, fella!” - “Glad to see you, guy!” Most often used in the meaning of “guy, person (male)”: “Who are these fellas?” - Who are these guys?
- Dude: “Dude, where’s my car?” - “Where’s my car, dude?”
- Girlfriend: “Hey, girlfriend!” - “Hello, queen!” This is how long-time close friends often address each other.
To family members and loved one
Affectionate addresses to loved ones are also very varied. In most cases, they are used regardless of gender. Here are some of them:
- Sweetheart- beloved, beloved.
- Dear/dearest- dear, dear / most dear, dear.
- Darling- Dear beloved; dear, beloved.
- Honey(abbreviated as " hon") - darling; darling/darling; Darling.
- Muffin- cupcake/bun/pie/favorite/dear.
- Sugar(Also sugarplum, sugar pie, sugar cake etc.) - sweet.
- Love- beloved / beloved / my love.
- Buttercup- buttercup.
- Sunshine- Sun.
- Baby (babe, bae) - baby, baby.
To the guy
- Handsome- Handsome.
- Sweetie pie- darling, darling, lovely, sweetie, sunshine.
- Tiger- tiger (a person in whom it is easy to ignite passion).
- Hot stuff- sex bomb, hot thing.
- Cuddle Cat- weasel. (cuddles - hugs in a lying position)
- Prince Charming- a prince on a white horse, a handsome prince.
- Mr. Perfect (Mr. Amazing etc.) - Mr. Perfect.
- Honey bear(teddy bear) - bear cub.
- Captain- captain, commander.
- Lady-killer- Don Juan, womanizer, heartthrob.
- Marshmallow- marshmallow.
- Superman- superman.
To a girl
- Sweetie- Expensive.
- Baby doll (baby girl) - baby, doll.
- Gorgeous- beauty, beauty.
- Honey bun- bun.
- Biscuit- cookie.
- Cherry- cherry.
- Cupcake- beauty, cutie.
- Kitten- kitty.
- Precious- dear, lovely.
- Peanut- baby, baby.
- Pumpkin- my good, lovely, cutie.
- Sugar plum (sweet cheeks) - my sweet (the second phrase is said to emphasize the beauty of the girl’s figure, or rather her butt).
- Dumpling- short (to an attractive girl of short stature and a seductive figure).
Punctuation rules when addressing
In English, just like in Russian, addresses are separated by commas. This is taught in schools in both countries. But, in fact, all English people completely ignore the comma in address if the name is at the end of the phrase. And they honestly observe it if the phrase begins with an address. For example:
Alice, I think you"ve had enough!
I think you"ve had enough Alice!
Conclusion
Now you have a whole set in your arsenal for addressing English-speaking comrades. By the way, the word " comrade"(comrade) you will only find in communist/socialist parties, as well as in Soviet English textbooks. In other cases, “comrad Ivanov” is not used. Be well-mannered and friendly in your communication, and the necessary forms of address will serve you well. Absorb English and be polite!
Big and friendly EnglishDom family
In English, married women and girls are addressed differently. This culture took hold in the 17th century, and continues to this day, despite the position of modern society on the principle of gender equality.
Address in English miss or mrs
Etiquette norms that have taken root in English-speaking countries require distinguishing between speech and writing when addressing women of different social status. When a woman introduces herself in society, she gives not only her first and last name. The rules of good manners oblige her or the person who represents her to put before her name an address that characterizes her marital status.
The status of a woman in Western society is usually designated by a special word. There are no analogues to such treatment in Russian culture, or they are extremely weakly expressed. Addressing women to indicate her status was typical as part of her title of nobility, if she possessed one.
In general, this division of statuses is not typical for Russian culture, therefore the English “Miss” and “Mrs.” cannot be unambiguously compared with addresses in Russian speech.
In English-speaking society, there are norms for the use of such addresses:
- Miss– an appeal to a girl, most often used in relation to young people under 18 years of age. In addition, with the prefix Miss you can address a teacher, saleswoman, or maid. Also, this appeal is considered most appropriate if the woman’s status is unknown.
- Mrs.- a traditional form of addressing a married lady. In this case, after the address, you can call both the woman’s own name and the name of her husband. Divorced women and widows are named after missis by their maiden name and surname.
Pronunciation
The Miss address in transcription looks like this:
The obsolete word Mistress, which is rarely used orally, is pronounced . More often this word has the meaning of “mistress”, “mistress” or “mistress”.
For example:
- Mistress of the situation - Mistress of the situation.
- Costume mistress - Main costume mistress.
- The dog ran alongside his mistress - The dog ran next to its mistress.
A derivative of Mistress, which over time became the independent word missis, it is pronounced as follows: . Literally translated, missis means “wife.”
Usage
In English, in oral speech miss and mistress are used in specific situations:
- Miss – an address to an unmarried person or a school teacher, regardless of her marital status, for example:
- He was finished at Miss A.’s – She was educated at Miss A.’s boarding house.
- Which Miss Smith do you mean? – Which Miss Smith do you mean?
- Mistress or missis- a form of polite address to a lady, married or divorced, as well as to a widow.
Examples of oral addresses
Full addresses are not used in the letter; they are replaced with abbreviations:
- Miss– if it is known for sure that the lady is not married;
- Mrs– if there is confidence that the woman has entered into marriage or is currently married;
- Ms- a polite form of address in letters, which indicates that a person is female, but does not directly indicate marital status.
Accepted requests in letters
- Dear Miss Jones! – Dear Miss Jones!
- Dear Mrs. Wilson! - Dear Mrs. Wilson!
- Dear Ms. Smith! – Dear Mrs. Smith!
Punctuation after contraction
It is customary to put punctuation marks after abbreviations in writing:
- Jane Johnson – Mistress Jane Johnson
- John Kelly – Mrs. John Kelly
There is no period after the word Miss, since the full form of the word is used:
- Miss Dana Simms - Miss Dana Simms.
A person learning a foreign language must realize that the beauty of a language lies in its diversity. Of course, this is primarily a tool that allows us to convey our thoughts to the listener or reader, but the form is no less important than the content. Moreover, native speakers, listening to your speech, will truly appreciate your rich vocabulary. And this, you see, is a significant reason to be proud of the results of your labors. This requirement applies not only to advanced English lovers, but also to those who are just starting to learn English for beginners and with silent horror are opening an English dictionary or grammar for the first time. Useful words and their synonyms need to be sought out, written down, memorized and used in speech whenever possible. With this, I hope the LINGVISTOV team will provide you with all possible assistance.
I don’t know about you, but I very often get tired of the hackneyed “dear”, “baby”, “bro” and other banalities. In calls in spoken English there is also room to expand in terms of vocabulary, which can be replenished with slang expressions heard in films in English or read in books and magazines.
But let’s first take a look at the polite addresses. The most common forms are Mr.(Mister) Mrs.(Missis) and Ms.(Miss - for a young girl or unmarried woman), to which the surname of this person is added. For example, “No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to DIE! If you do not know the last name of the person you are addressing, use Sir, Madame or Miss; however, the latter can cause trouble if the girl is married (tested by bitter experience). The use of Ma'am, short for Madam, is very controversial:
In the UK it is hardly used and is considered an obsolete form.
In the US, the use of "madam" is limited to very formal occasions, while "ma'am" is common in everyday speech when addressing an adult woman who you assume may already have a family and children, especially if she is older. you. In the South and Southwest of the United States, “ma’am” is an address to any woman or girl.
There are many friendly addresses, as well as affectionate ones, in the English language. Addressing friends varies depending on which version of English you prefer, however, it is not limited to them.
British English:
chap: “Dear old chap, I’ve missed you!” (Old man, I missed you!)
mate(also Australia, New Zealand): “Hey, mate, do you want to hit the pub?” (Mate, let's go to the pub?)
pal(also popular in the US): “My most useful acting tip came from my pal John Wayne. Talk low, talk slow, and don't say too much.” - Michael Caine (The most useful acting advice was given to me by my friend John Wayne. Speak low, speak slowly and say little. - Michael Caine)
crony: “I"m going to the pub with me cronies” (I went to the pub with my friends.)
mucker(Ireland): “What about ye, mucker? Are you in or out?” (So, buddy? Are you in?)
American English:
homie: “Time to go, homie.” (Time to go, buddy.)
home slice: “You’re coming with us tonight, home slice?” - Sure.”
amigo: “Hey, amigo, long time no see.” (Hey, amigo, how many years, how many winters!)
buddy: “I'm going to have some beer with my buddy tonight.” (My friend and I will have a couple of drinks today.)
bestie: “You and I are besties for life!” (You and I are best friends for life!)
dawg: “Waddup, dawg? “Nothing, jus’ chillin.”
fella: “Good to see you, fella.” Most often used in the meaning of “guy, person (male)”: “Who are these fellas?” (Who are these people?)
dude: “Dude, where’s my car?” (classic)
Affectionate addresses to loved ones are also very varied. Here are some of them, in most cases used regardless of gender:
Honey (abbreviated as hon)
Sugar (also sugarplum, sugar pie, sugar cake, etc.)
And finally, some endearments divided by gender:
|
Nicknames for a Boyfriend |
Nicknames for a Girlfriend |
|
Handsome - Handsome |
Sweetie - Darling |
Here it is important to avoid excessive familiarity, because, as one of my good friends says: “I"m not your honey, darling, sweetheart, dear, ducky, or any other diminutive creature.”
Depending on the situation, we approach the people around us differently. An address is understood as an intonationally and grammatically isolated independent component, which is used to designate a person or (less often) an object acting as the addressee of speech. Here are some examples of addresses in English:
| Excuse me Sir, could you tell me where the nearest bank is? | Sorry, sir, can you tell me where the nearest bank is? |
| John , please tell my parents I will be late. | John , please tell my parents that I will be late. |
| Mr. Adams , there is some important information for you. | Mr Adams , there is important information for you. |
| Dear Ann
,
I was really happy when your letter arrived… |
Dear Ann
,
I was really happy when your letter arrived... |
As you can see from the above examples, the type of address depends on many factors, in particular, on how formal or, conversely, informal the communication situation is, on whether the form of communication chosen is oral or written, as well as on your and the interlocutor’s age, gender , social status, profession and relationships of subordination.
Formal forms of addressing one person in English
To address a person in a formal situation, the English language offers several polite forms. For example, to address a man, the following options are used:
| Writing an appeal | Transcription | Translation of example | |
| Mr. | [ ˈmɪstə(r) ] | Mr. Thompson, could you repeat your requests, please. | Mr. Thompson, could you repeat your request please? |
| Sir | I’m afraid, Sir, our headmaster is on holiday at the moment. | I'm afraid, sir, our director is currently on vacation. | |
| Esq. | [ɪˈskwʌɪə] | John S. Brown, Esq., come into the office, please! | Mr. John S. Brown, please come to the office! |
If we talk about each of the above forms, it is worth noting the following:
- the treatment can be applied to any man, whatever his age, social status and marital status; such an address is placed before the addressee's surname, for example: Mr. Johnson - Mr. Johnson;
- The address Sir should be chosen if the addressee’s last name remains unnamed or unknown; in rarer, but more honorable cases, Sir is an address to a person holding a knighthood (in the United Kingdom) and is placed either before the name, for example - Sir Richard / Sir Richard, or before the full name and surname, for example - Sir Elton John / Sir Elton John;
- The address is placed after the full name. Message from Mr. in such cases it should no longer be used, since it will be redundant. This treatment has its roots in the medieval term Esquire, which first designated a knight's squire, and later a member of the lower strata of the nobility. The form is currently used quite rarely, more often in the written version.
To address a woman in an official setting, the following forms apply:
| Writing an appeal | Transcription | An example of the use of address | Translation of example |
| Mrs. | [‘mɪsɪz] | Mrs. Smith, can you have a speech during the meeting? | Mrs. Smith, could you give a speech at the meeting? |
| Ms. | [‘mɪz] | Ms. Johns, our company are very sorry about this mistake and offer you some discounts on other goods you need for your business. | Ms. Jones, our company regrets this error and is offering you some discounts on other items you need for your business. |
| Miss | [‘mɪz] | Miss Huston, you are a very promising young teacher! | Miss Houston, you are a very promising young teacher! |
| Madam | [ˈmadəm] | I’m sorry, Madam, could you follow me, please! | Excuse me, madam, could you follow me please? |
The differences between the above forms of addressing a woman are sometimes quite significant, in particular:
- appeal Mrs. is sometimes addressed to a married woman and requires after it her last name / first name and last name / first and last name of her husband, for example: Stevenson / Mrs. Jane Stevenson/Mrs. Paul Stevenson. The last option will seem rather unusual to a Russian person, but there is a simple explanation for this, because the form Mrs. – this is an address expressing belonging to a certain man (Mrs. as a form of the possessive case from Mr.);
- the address Miss is applicable to an unmarried girl and requires a surname after it, for example - Miss Brown, less often - a name, for example Miss Alice;
- appeal Ms. occurs more often in business correspondence, while in oral speech preference is given to one of the two forms indicated above. This treatment, which applies to any woman regardless of whether she is married, is the result of numerous campaigns for women's equality. After the address Ms., recommended in 1974 by the United Nations, it is necessary to use the surname, for example - J. Simpson;
- Madam is used if the addressee's last name is not mentioned or is unknown, for example – Dear Madam / Dear Madam. In addition, the address Madam is also typical for use in relation to a high-ranking female person, and the post she occupies can be named after it, for example: Madam Managing Director / Madam General Director.
Formal address to several addressees
When speaking orally to a mixed-sex audience, the most typical and acceptable form becomes Ladies and gentlemen! – which is translated into Russian as "Ladies and Gentlemen!" . In a less formal situation, you can find formulations such as Dear friends! - "Dear friends!"; Dear colleagues! - "Dear Colleagues!" or Esteemed colleagues! - "Dear Colleagues!" .
In an official written address to several persons (presumably mostly male), whose surnames are unknown, the wording is used Sirs / Gentlemen , For example:
If there is a written appeal to a group of women whose names and surnames are unknown, the wording is used Mesdames () / Ladies , For example:
If the message in correspondence is aimed at several addressees, and their last names are known, you can use the wording Messrs ( [ˈmes.əz]) / Gentlemen , after which these surnames are indicated, for example: MessrsJohnson, Smith and Robinson - Messrs. Johnson, Smith and Robinson. However, this formulation is now considered somewhat outdated.
Unofficial appeal
Without going too far from the topic of addressing a letter, it should be noted that when addressing a friend or good acquaintance, it is enough to call him by name or address him using the wording Dear + name (Dear...) or Hello/Hi,+ name (Hello, ...) .
In oral speech, the most acceptable address is also considered to be addressed by name. In this case, a diminutive form of the name can also be used, as in Russian, for example:
| Robert (Robert) | Rob(Rob)Bob (Bean) , Bobby (Bobby), Robbie(Robbie) |
| Susan(Susan) | Sue(Sue) |
However, such forms do not exist for all names, and calling the full name is still more common.
Another question is that, unlike the Russian patronymic name, in English-speaking countries people sometimes have several names, which is associated with the Catholic tradition of “tying” the name of a patron saint or some relative to one name. However, there is no patronymic in English. But out of several names given to a person at baptism, the first one does not always become the one that the person perceives as the main thing and would like to be called that way. For example: William Bradley Pitt is better known as Brad Pitt.
But in order to avoid misunderstandings associated with calling by name, it is worth clarifying with your interlocutor: “ What should I call you ? - “What should I call you?” .
Be polite and friendly in your communication and the necessary forms of address will definitely serve you well.
