madame

See also: Madame

English

Alternative forms

• Madame

Etymology

Borrowed from French madame, from Old French ma dame (“my lady”). Doublet of madam and Madonna.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /məˈdæm/, /məˈdɑːm/, /ˈmæ.dəm/
• (US) IPA^(key): /məˈdæm/, /məˈdɑm/, /mæˈdæm/, /mæˈdɑm/, /ˈmæ.dəm/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æm, -ɑm, -ædəm

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

madame (plural madames or mesdames)

1. Alternative form of madam

Derived terms

• Madame Bishop
• Madame Mao

 

Related terms

• croque-madame
• grande madame
• Madame Berthe's mouse lemur
• Madame Tussaud's
• trou madame

Anagrams

• ma'amed

Finnish

Etymology

From French madame.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑdɑm/, [ˈmɑ̝dɑ̝m]

Noun

madame

1. madam

Declension

Inflection of madame (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)
nominative		madame	madamet
genitive		madamen	madamejen
partitive		madamea	madameja
illative		madameen	madameihin
		singular	plural
nominative		madame	madamet
accusative	nom.	madame	madamet
	gen.	madamen
genitive		madamen	madamejen madamein rare
partitive		madamea	madameja
inessive		madamessa	madameissa
elative		madamesta	madameista
illative		madameen	madameihin
adessive		madamella	madameilla
ablative		madamelta	madameilta
allative		madamelle	madameille
essive		madamena	madameina
translative		madameksi	madameiksi
abessive		madametta	madameitta
instructive		—	madamein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of madame (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative madameni madameni accusative nom. madameni madameni gen. madameni genitive madameni madamejeni madameini rare partitive madameani madamejani inessive madamessani madameissani elative madamestani madameistani illative madameeni madameihini adessive madamellani madameillani ablative madameltani madameiltani allative madamelleni madameilleni essive madamenani madameinani translative madamekseni madameikseni abessive madamettani madameittani instructive — — comitative — madameineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative madamesi madamesi accusative nom. madamesi madamesi gen. madamesi genitive madamesi madamejesi madameisi rare partitive madameasi madamejasi inessive madamessasi madameissasi elative madamestasi madameistasi illative madameesi madameihisi adessive madamellasi madameillasi ablative madameltasi madameiltasi allative madamellesi madameillesi essive madamenasi madameinasi translative madameksesi madameiksesi abessive madamettasi madameittasi instructive — — comitative — madameinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative madamemme madamemme accusative nom. madamemme madamemme gen. madamemme genitive madamemme madamejemme madameimme rare partitive madameamme madamejamme inessive madamessamme madameissamme elative madamestamme madameistamme illative madameemme madameihimme adessive madamellamme madameillamme ablative madameltamme madameiltamme allative madamellemme madameillemme essive madamenamme madameinamme translative madameksemme madameiksemme abessive madamettamme madameittamme instructive — — comitative — madameinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative madamenne madamenne accusative nom. madamenne madamenne gen. madamenne genitive madamenne madamejenne madameinne rare partitive madameanne madamejanne inessive madamessanne madameissanne elative madamestanne madameistanne illative madameenne madameihinne adessive madamellanne madameillanne ablative madameltanne madameiltanne allative madamellenne madameillenne essive madamenanne madameinanne translative madameksenne madameiksenne abessive madamettanne madameittanne instructive — — comitative — madameinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative madamensa madamensa accusative nom. madamensa madamensa gen. madamensa genitive madamensa madamejensa madameinsa rare partitive madameaan madameansa madamejaan madamejansa inessive madamessaan madamessansa madameissaan madameissansa elative madamestaan madamestansa madameistaan madameistansa illative madameensa madameihinsa adessive madamellaan madamellansa madameillaan madameillansa ablative madameltaan madameltansa madameiltaan madameiltansa allative madamelleen madamellensa madameilleen madameillensa essive madamenaan madamenansa madameinaan madameinansa translative madamekseen madameksensa madameikseen madameiksensa abessive madamettaan madamettansa madameittaan madameittansa instructive — — comitative — madameineen madameinensa

Derived terms

compounds

• madamemalli

 

Further reading

• “madame”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-03

French

Etymology

From Old French ma dame (“my lady”), equivalent to ma +‎ dame.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma.dam/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

madame f (plural mesdames)

1. a title or form of address for a woman, formerly for a married woman and now commonly for any adult woman regardless of marital status, used both in direct and third-person address

   Bonjour, madame, comment puis-je vous aider ?

   Hello, ma'am, how can I help you?

   Si vous êtes libre, pourriez-vous aider madame, s’il vous plaît?

   If you're free, could you help this lady, please?

2. madam, Mrs. or Ms.; a title used with a woman's full name or surname, or (in childish language) her first name
3. (in children's language, childish) lady, woman

   Dis merci à la madame.

   Say thank you to the lady.

4. the female employer of a domestic servant
   • 2020, Laure Stéphan, “« Ma Madame m’a dit qu’ils ne pouvaient plus me payer » : au Liban, le calvaire des domestiques éthiopiennes”, in Le Monde‎^[2]:

     Mazaa, 23 ans, ancienne nourrice et femme de ménage, croix autour du cou, cache son visage. « Ma Madame (employeuse) m’a dit qu’ils ne pouvaient plus me payer. […] »

     Mazaa, 23 years old, former nanny and housekeeper, a cross around her neck, hides her face. "My madame (employer) told me they couldn't pay me anymore. […]"

Usage notes

• Unlike in English, Madame is frequently used without a name or article as a polite reference to a woman in the third person, notably in official registers:

  Madame s’est présentée à l’urgence à 18 h 12.

  The/This lady/The patient/Ms. [name] attended the emergency room at 6:12 p.m.

• Although un/le monsieur is used as a common noun to mean "a/the gentleman," using the word une/la madame to mean "a/the lady" is considered childish language. Instead, une/la dame is used.

Synonyms

• dame, lady
• (title, form of address): (abbreviations) M^me, Mme.

Coordinate terms

• mademoiselle
• monsieur

Derived terms

• madame je-sais-tout
• Madame Michu
• Madame Watanabe
• mesdames et messieurs

 

Descendants

• → Russian: мада́м (madám)
• → Turkish: madam, madama

Further reading

• “madame”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maˈdam/
• Rhymes: -am

Noun

madame f

1. plural of madama

Middle English

Alternative forms

• ma dame, madam, madaum, maydame, madde dame

Etymology

From Old French madame; compare dame.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maˈdaːm(ə)/, /maˈdam(ə)/, /maː-/

Noun

madame (plural madames)

1. madam (polite term of address or (less often) title for a noble lady)

Descendants

• English: madam; ma'am
• Scots: madam

References

• “ma-dam(e, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• madama

Etymology

Borrowed from French madame.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /maˈdɐ̃.mi/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /maˈdɐ̃.mi/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /maˈdɐ.me/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /maˈdɐ.mɨ/ [maˈðɐ.mɨ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /maˈdɐ.mɨ/ [maˈðɐ.mɨ]
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /maˈda.mɨ/ [maˈða.mɨ]

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -ɐmɨ, (Brazil) -ɐ̃mi
• Hyphenation: ma‧da‧me

Noun

madame f (plural madames)

1. madam (polite term of address to a woman)
2. madam (mistress of a household)

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from French madame.

Noun

madame f (plural madames)

1. madam (polite term of address to a woman)
2. madam (mistress of a household)

Swedish

Noun

madame c

1. Synonym of fru (and French)

Declension

Declension of madame
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	madame	madamen	madamer	madamerna
Genitive	madames	madamens	madamers	madamernas

See also

• madam

References

• madame in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• madame in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)