How to spell mr and mrs in english. "Mrs" - what is it and how to apply the appeal correctly

In European culture, the rules of etiquette provide for addressing a woman in a form that corresponds to her status, age and marital status.

Definition

madam- obligatory word usage in France and some European countries in official communication with the fairer sex. Initially, this form of polite address meant that a woman belonged to the upper class or a noble family. Later appeal madam lost its pronounced class coloring, moved into the category of words used in etiquette formulas of speech, and began to be used in relation to women in general.

Ma'am- short form of address madam, which was actively used in England in the 18th - 19th centuries in relation to a woman who occupied a significant position in society. Currently in English word form ma'am is obsolete and almost never used. In the meanings of " mistress», « hostess», « mentor"It has become entrenched in the countries of North America and has become part of the active vocabulary of modern Americans.

Miss and Mrs- Forms of polite address to a woman in England and America. Appeal Mrs. in combination with the surname of the husband is used in relation to persons who are married. In relation to an unmarried woman, the rules of etiquette prescribe the treatment miss.

Mademoiselle- polite address to girls and young women before their marriage, which in France until recently was considered a sign of good taste. With the spread French and French etiquette in the Russian noble environment of the 18th - early 19th centuries, this form began to be used in Russian speech. Modern use of address mademoiselle limited: under the influence of the feminist movement since 2012 in France, it has been excluded from official use.

Comparison

Married women are usually addressed in the form madam and Mrs..

Miss- a form of address for unmarried women, which is used in countries that inherit the rules of English etiquette, regardless of the age of the fair sex.

The form mademoiselle as a polite appeal to a girl is gradually losing its meaning: since February 2012 in France, it has been officially replaced by the commonly used form madam.

Appeal ma'am widespread in America: it is used by subordinates in relation to a woman who has a certain official position.

Findings site

1. Appeal madam to married women is accepted in France and some English-speaking countries of Europe.
2. In American communication, the word madam converted to short form ma'am and partially lost its meaning, indicating the social status of a married woman.
3. The use of addresses miss and Mrs. common in England. The form Mrs. in combination with the husband's surname, it is used in relation to a married woman; miss It is customary to use in combination with the surname received at birth.
4. Appeal mademoiselle can refer only to young unmarried women and young girls. It is excluded from official business communication in France, but traditionally remains in speech use.

According to the norms of etiquette established in English-speaking countries, the appeal to women with different social status should be different, both in speech and in writing. In Western society, the status of a woman is denoted by special words - Miss (Miss) or Mrs. (Miss). In Russian culture, there are no analogues to such treatment, or they are weakly expressed. What is the difference between Miss and Mrs, and who is called "Miz", later in the article.

Both words came into wide use in Great Britain in the 17th century as an abbreviation for "mistress", which in English means "mistress", "owner of the house." Initially, the surname / name of the husband was added to this appeal. Later, in official documents, women were allowed to leave their initials after the word "mistress". At the same time, the husband's surname was preserved. Around the 17th century, Miss and Missis, familiar to us today, or Ms and Mrs for short, came into use. The first appeal was used, referring to unmarried girls, and the second - to women who are or have entered into marriage.

Who is called "Miss"?

In addition to unmarried women in English-speaking countries, the word "Miss" is used to refer to a school teacher, regardless of her marital status. The address "Miss" is used exclusively with the maiden name. If a woman is divorced, she has the right to decide for herself how she will present herself or sign when processing documents. Thus, there are two options: "Mrs" with a surname ex-husband, or "Miss" with her maiden name. If a woman becomes a widow, she should be addressed in the same way as during her marriage.

Who is called "Miz"?

In the middle of the 20th century, Americans supplemented their language with a neutral appeal to women "mis", which does not emphasize their marital status. According to one version, it was invented by feminists who are always fighting for gender equality. Other sources report that the term "miz" (written in English as Ms.) was coined in the United States in 1952 by employees of the National Association of Office Managers in order not to embarrass secretaries by making mistakes in address. Today it is officially used when communicating with secretaries and some other office workers. In a business environment, the words "Miss" and "Mrs" are rarely used.

Generalization

So, what did you not know before reading this material?

• Miss - an appeal to a woman who is not married;
• Mrs - an appeal to a woman who has married or is currently married;
• Ms is a polite form of address indicating that a person belongs to female gender but does not indicate marital status.

Examples of appeals in letters:

• Dear Miss/Ms Jones! — Dear Miss Jones!
• Dear Mrs. Wilson! — Dear Mrs Wilson!
• Dear Ms. Smith! Dear Mrs Smith!

Man studying 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 only take up English for beginners and, with mute horror, open an English dictionary or grammar for the first time. Useful words and their synonyms should be sought out, written down, memorized and used in speech whenever possible. In this, I hope the LINGVISTOV team will provide you with all possible assistance.

I don’t know about you, but I often get bored with hackneyed “dear”, “baby”, “bro” and other platitudes. In conversational English appeals, too, there is where to turn around in terms of vocabulary, which can be replenished with slang expressions heard in films on English language or read in books and magazines.

But first, let's take a look at the courtesy. 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 don't know the last name of the person you're addressing, use Sir, madam or miss; however, the latter can cause trouble if the girl is still married (tested the hard way). Very controversial is the use of Ma'am, an abbreviation for Madam:

In the UK, it is almost never 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 to an adult woman who you think 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. Addresses to friends vary depending on which version of English you prefer, however, they are 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?” (Man, 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 advice acting class was given to me by my friend John Wayne. Speak in a low voice, speak slowly and speak little. — Michael Caine)

crony: “I"m going to the pub with me cronies” (I went to the pub with my buddies.)

mucker(Ireland): “What about ye, mucker? Are you in or out?” (So ​​buddy? Are you in?)

american english:

homie: "Time to go, homie." (It's time to leave, 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 beers with my buddy tonight.” (Today my friend and I will have a couple of drinks.)

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 appeals to close people are also very diverse. Here are some of them, in most cases used regardless of gender:

Honey (hon for short)

Sugar (also sugarplum, sugar pie, sugar cake, etc.)

And finally, a few affectionate addresses, divided by gender:

It is important to avoid excessive familiarity here, because, as one of my good friends says: "I "m not your honey, darling, sweetheart, dear, ducky, or any other diminutive creature."

We know firsthand about the politeness of the English. High-sounding appeals such as sir (sir), my lord (my lord), lady (lady) and others, used since the Middle Ages, are designed to define and emphasize the status of a person in a conversation.

In modern England, classic appeals are still in use: the queen is called none other than Her Majesty (Her Majesty), according to the title, other members of the royal family are also addressed. For those who do not have the status of a lord or other aristocratic titles, it is customary to address according to marital status.

Today, once and for all, we will deal with such seemingly similar appeals in English as Mr, Mrs, Ms and Miss: what are these abbreviations, how are they translated and when are they used.

This knowledge will be useful to you not only in everyday communication, but also when compiling business letters, as well as for filling out foreign documents.

Mr & Mrs: Who is this?

To begin with, let's deal with such basic concepts used everywhere as Mr. and Mrs. and talk about how they are written and used.

Mr ['mɪstər] - Mr.

This address is used when we are talking about a man. It doesn't matter at all whether you are married or not. Age is not important either: boys are treated this way during their studies. Used with a surname:

Mr Lewis is a very handsome man - Mr Lewis is a very handsome man

Thus, Mr is an abbreviation for the word mister, that is, "Mr" in English.

Mrs [ˈmɪsɪz] - Mrs.This is an address to a married woman in English. It can also be used in relation to a girl if she is married. The abbreviation was formed from the word mistress: the so-called "mistresses of the house" in the 18th century in Great Britain. Similar to "Mister", used together with the surname:Mrs Lane is cooking a Christmas dinner - Mrs Lane is cooking a Christmas dinner

The address Mrs (Mrs.) in English comes from the full word misses and is used both when filling out documents and in communication.

Remembering these two basic appeals is not difficult. It is enough to know that Mr is a man, and if you add s to this reduction, you get an appeal to his wife. It is also easy to remember how Mr. and Mrs. are written in English: always with a capital letter, like the surname of the person they are addressing. But whether to put a period after the abbreviation or not depends on which version of English you use. In British English, there is no period after Mr and Mrs, but in American English it is. The word must be pronounced in both cases in full.

These abbreviations are perhaps the most used around the world. A married couple is usually presented together under the same last name. For example, as in the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith" ("Mr. and Mrs. Smith"). Also, these are the most popular words in wedding decor, when newlyweds' chairs or cakes are decorated with Mr. and Mrs., by whom they will be called after marriage.

Miss & Ms: what's the difference?

A little more complicated than with Mr and Mrs, the situation is with an appeal to a girl whose marital status is unknown to us.

Miss - miss This address is used when we are talking about a woman or girl who, as we know, is definitely not married. Miss in English is also placed before the surname of a woman or girl, but is most often used in relation to schoolgirls and students.

Please note that this word is the only one of the four addresses that is written and pronounced in its entirety, which means that the letter never has a period:

look! This is our new star Miss Lopez! - Look! This is our new star Miss Lopez!

Ms - Miss

We use this form of polite address when we do not know whether a woman is married or not. The full form of this word sounds like mizz, hence the slightly different pronunciation, more sonorous than Miss. Like all other appeals, it is used with the name of a woman or girl:

Please, give these papers to Ms Strait - Please give these papers to Ms Strait

As you can see, the difference between Miss and Ms is not that big. Especially in colloquial speech. If you doubt the marital status of the woman in front of you, you can always use the indefinite Ms.

By the way, in the business environment it is the appeal Ms that is more common, even if it is known that the woman is married.

Summing up

Often those who study English confuse the appeal to women. With men, everything is clear: he will be Mr in any case, regardless of age and marital status. But what about the ladies and the difference between Miss and Mrs in English?

The abbreviation Mrs is translated as Mrs. This is the woman who is married to Mr. It is quite easy to remember, because in this very abbreviation Mr.

If you see Ms, then this is a miss, which means an unmarried woman or girl. It is also easy to remember: if there is no letter r, then this Ms has not yet found her Mr.

This is the main difference between the abbreviations Miss and Mrs in English.

Once again about the points: they are put when writing only in American English, when we have in front of us an abbreviation for the full word mister, mistress or mizz. The word Miss (appeal to an unmarried girl) also begins with a capital letter when writing, but a period is not put after it. After the address (with or without a dot) comes the surname of a man or woman with a capital letter.

We hope that now you will forever remember in which cases such addresses in English as Mr, Mrs, Miss and Ms are used correctly.

In English, there are many variants of 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.
The form Mr. can be used when referring to a man, regardless of his age and marital status. The only restriction is the fact that it must be followed by the last name of the person being addressed:
Dear Mr. Ivanov, Dear Mr. Ivanov!

When addressing multiple people, use Messrs, and to the surnames themselves, the ending is plural. -s is not added and no dot is placed after the politeness form:
Messrs Thomas and Smith

If the addressee's last name is unknown, use Sir(Sirs when addressing multiple people):
Dear Sirs, Dear Sirs!

As a synonym for Mr. in England they sometimes use the form Esq. However, it is not placed before the name, but after it, and, naturally, in this case the form Mr. missing:
Michael S. Johnson, Esq.

For reference: This form goes back to the word esquire. In medieval England, an esquire was a knight's squire, but later this word came to mean one of the lower titles of nobility. For some time this form was used in letters, but now it is becoming less and less common.

The form Mrs. (Mmes when referring to several women) is placed before (1) the family name or (2) before the name and surname of a married woman or (3) before the name and surname of her husband:
Mrs. Brown - Mrs. Brown
Mrs. Laura Brown - Mrs. Laura Brown
Mrs. Peter Brown - Mrs. Peter Brown

For reference:
Form is an abbreviation for mistress, which reads like . 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 it so?
The fact is that abbreviated forms of polite address are formed by adding the first and last letters:
Mr. = MisteR
Dr. = DoctorR
Mrs. can't be short for missus/missis because missus/missis doesn't have an r consonant, so it makes sense that
Mrs. = MistResS

At the same time, 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.

The form Miss used in relation to an unmarried woman and should be followed by a surname:
Dear Miss Willis, Dear Miss Willis!

The form Ms.(read or) is the language equivalent of the Mr. form, 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 the equality of women. It should be noted, however, that in Everyday life this form is not used as often as in official correspondence, as most women prefer to use the form Mrs. (married) or Miss (unmarried). However, modern formal and even semi-formal correspondence tends strongly to use the form Ms. This form must also be followed by the last name:
Ms. S. Smith

madam(Mesdames when referring to several women) is the most formal address to a woman. This form can be called the language equivalent of Sir, since it is also used when the addressee's last name is unknown:
Dear Madam, Dear Madam!
Dear Mesdames

Besides, given form used in writing in relation to a high-ranking woman, married or unmarried, to the queen (queen), princess (princess), countess (countess), daughter of the duke, maid of honor (maid of honor), as well as to a woman holding an official post; with job title Madam Chairman, Madam Chairman!)