Abbreviations Mr and Mrs in English. Address in English

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.
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. absent:
Michael S. Johnson, Esq.

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

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.

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

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, because 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

In addition, this form is 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 position; with job title Madam Chairman, Madam Chairman!)

English words are increasingly being used by people who speak Russian. Often we also have to communicate with foreigners. And here the question arises of how it is more appropriate to name a particular woman. Indeed, in English-speaking countries, two options are used: "Miss" and "Mrs." There really is a difference between these appeals, let's try to figure it out in detail.

A bit of history

In English-speaking countries, previously married ladies were addressed mistress ("mistress") - in the literal translation "housewife", "owner of the house". At the same time, the surname and first name of the husband were initially added to the appeal. A little later, women were allowed to add their initials after the word "mistress" in official documents. The husband's surname was kept. Later, around the 17th century, the “Miss” and “Mrs.”, familiar to us today, came into use. The difference between them was that the first appeal is for unmarried girls, and the second one is for women who have entered into marriage. They are still used today, and many of the fair sex are proud of their social status and can be seriously offended by an accidental mistake in a conversation. It turns out that the difference between Miss and Mrs is whether a woman has a spouse. Accordingly, a lady of respectable age can also be a “girl”, provided that she has not married or divorced.

Exceptions to the rule

The address "Miss" is permissible to use only with the maiden name. Suppose, if a woman is divorced, she herself decides how she will introduce herself and sign official documents. There are two options: either "Mrs" with the surname of the ex-husband, or "Miss" with the maiden name. In the event of the death of a spouse, a widow should be addressed in the same way as during her marriage. An interesting fact: teachers in educational institutions should always be addressed as "miss", regardless of their social status. These standard words can be avoided if the woman has a special title, such as "lady" or "doctor". In this case, "Miss" and "Mrs." are inappropriate. The difference between marital status pales before a professional definition or a high title.

Who is "Miz" (Ms.)

In the middle of the 20th century, a neutral appeal to women “miz” appeared in America, which did not allow determining their marital status. It is believed that it was invented by feminists in the struggle for gender equality. Today it is officially used in relation to secretaries and some other office workers. In a business environment, the words "Miss" and "Mrs." are rarely used. The difference between these concepts can be important for the woman herself, and then she uses the correct respectful address to herself, introducing herself when meeting. But today, more and more often you can meet the fair sex, who quite like the universal "miz".

In English, married women and girls are usually addressed differently. This culture was fixed in the 17th century, and is still preserved, despite the position of modern society on the principle of gender equality.

Appeal in English miss or mrs

The norms of etiquette, which have taken root in English-speaking countries, prescribe to distinguish in speech and in writing appeals to women of different social status. When a woman introduces herself in society, she says not only her first and last name. The rules of good manners oblige her or the person who represents her to put before the name an address that characterizes the marital status.

The status of a woman in Western society is usually denoted by a special word. In Russian culture, there are no analogues to such treatment, or they are extremely weakly expressed. Addressing women with the designation of her status was characteristic of her title of nobility, if she possessed it.

In general, this division of statuses is not typical for Russian culture, so the English “Miss” and “Mrs.” cannot be unambiguously compared with addresses in Russian speech.

In the 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 the age of 18. In addition, with the prefix Miss, you can refer to a teacher, saleswoman, maid. Also, this appeal is considered the most appropriate if the status of a woman is unknown.
• Mrs.- the traditional form of addressing a married lady. At the same time, after the appeal, you can call both the woman’s own name and the name of her husband. Divorced and widowed women use their maiden name and surname after missis.

Pronunciation

Miss in transcription looks like this:

The obsolete word Mistress, which is rarely used in oral communication, is pronounced like. 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 dresser.
• The dog ran alongside his mistress - The dog ran next to the mistress.

A derivative of Mistress, which eventually turned into an independent word missis, is pronounced as follows:. Missis literally means "wife".

Usage

In spoken English, miss and mistress are used in specific situations:

• Miss is an address to an unmarried person or to 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 married or divorced lady, as well as to a widow.

Examples of verbal appeals

On the letter, full addresses are not used, they are replaced by abbreviations:

• Miss- if it is known for sure that the lady is not married;
• Mrs- if there is confidence that the woman was married or married at the moment;
• Ms- a polite form of address in letters, which indicates a person's belonging to the female sex, but does not give a direct indication of marital status.

Accepted appeals in letters

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

Punctuation after abbreviation

It is customary to put punctuation marks after abbreviations in writing:

• Jane Johnson - Mrs. 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.

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 referring to an interlocutor, it is important to choose not only intonation, but also the correct form; use 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 the exact observance of all greeting and address formulas, and the neutral style of communication (for example, with strangers, work colleagues, neighbors, etc.) can be simpler in expressions.

With friends and relatives, you can also allow a familiar style of communication, in which the forms of addressing the interlocutor will be completely different. Let's look at each style in more detail. Shall we?

How to contact an interlocutor

Let's 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?- May 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 grab the recipient's attention, use expressions:

Excuse me Sir/Madam.- Excuse me, sir/madam.
"Pardon me, Sir/Madame."- I'm sorry, sir/madam.

We figured out the general points, now let's look at other forms of address.

To a woman

• madam A polite way of addressing a woman to a man. Women usually do not address each other in this way, unless, of course, you are a maid or a servant and wish to address the mistress of the house. In that case, this appeal would be appropriate.
• Mrs(an abbreviation for the word "Missus") - a form of polite address to a woman. After the word "Mrs" it is required to give the name of the woman's husband. It should be remembered that the words "Mr" and "Mrs" are not used without surnames in colloquial English, as this will sound vulgar.
• Miss- a form of address to an unmarried woman, a girl. Be sure to include your first or last name after the word. "Miss" - without a name, surname - a form of address to the teacher, and it has also become a common form of address to the attendants.

To the man

• Sir- this form of address does not require the name or surname of the interlocutor after himself. So they turn to strangers, to men equal or older in age, social status or position.
• Mr(an abbreviation of the word Mister) - after this word, you need to give the name or surname of the interlocutor.
• Son! Sonny! Boy!- a form of addressing older people to unfamiliar young people.
• Young man, youth- this is how older people address young men.

To a group of people

When verbally addressing several addressees, the most appropriate form of address would be “ Ladies and gentlemen n!" - "Ladies and Gentlemen!". In a less formal atmosphere, you can hear such an expression as " Dear friends!" - "Dear friends!" or " Dear colleagues!" - "Dear Colleagues!", " Esteemed colleagues!" - "Dear Colleagues!"

If you suddenly had the honor of meeting someone from the royal family or a high-ranking person, then you definitely need to 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 a Justice of the Supreme Court.
• Your Honor to a lower court judge.
• general/colonel/captain etc. - to a military rank: with or without a surname.
• Officer, constable, inspector- to the policeman.
• Professor- with or without a surname, in the UK they refer to a person who has the title of professor. 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 contact 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 :

• 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?" - “Buddy, do you want 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 helpful acting advice was given to me by my friend John Wayne. Speak in a low voice, speak slowly and speak little. (c) 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?" - "Well, buddy? Are you in business?"

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 thing! - "Are you coming with us tonight, homie? - 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 beers with my buddy tonight." - "My friend and I are going to have a couple of foam tonight."
• bestie: "You and I - we are the besties for life!" “You and I are best friends for life!”
• Dawg: "Waddup, dawg? "Nothing, jus' chillin." "What's up, friend? - Nothing, I'm resting.
• Fella: "Good to see you fella!" - "Glad to see you, boy!" 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 girl!" - "Hi, slut!" This is how old close friends often turn to each other.

To family members and loved one

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

• sweetheart- beloved, beloved.
• Dear/dearest- expensive, expensive / most expensive, dear.
• Darling- Dear beloved; dear, beloved.
• Honey(abbreviated " hon"") - dove; dove / cute; 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- dear, dear, lovely, sweet, sun.
• Tiger- tiger (a person in whom it is easy to kindle passion).
• hot stuff- sex bomb, hot stuff.
• Cuddle Cat- sweetheart. (cuddles - hugs in a prone position)
• Prince Charming- a prince on a white horse, a handsome prince.
• Mr. Perfect (Mr. Amazing etc.) - Mr. Perfect.
• honey bear(teddy bear) is a teddy bear.
• Captain- captain, commander.
• lady killer- Don Juan, womanizer, heartthrob.
• Marshmallow- marshmallow.
• Superman- superman.

To the girl

• sweetie- Expensive.
• baby doll (baby girl) - baby, doll.
• Gorgeous- beauty, beauty.
• Honey bun- a bun.
• biscuit- a cookie.
• cherry- cherry.
• cup cake- beauty, sweetie.
• kitten- kitty.
• Precious- dear, lovely.
• Peanut- baby, baby.
• Pumpkin- my good, charm, cutie.
• sugar plum (sweet cheeks) - my sweet (the second phrase is said to emphasize the beauty of the girl's figure, or rather her fifth point).
• Dumpling- shorty (to an attractive girl of short stature and a seductive figure).

Rules for punctuation when addressing

In English, just like in Russian, appeals are separated by commas. This is taught in schools in both countries. But, in fact, all the British without exception ignore the comma in circulation if the name is at the end of the phrase. And they honestly observe it if the phrase begins with an appeal. For example:

Alice, I think you've had enough!

I think you "ve had enough Alice!

Conclusion

Now you have in your arsenal a whole set for referring to English-speaking comrades. Incidentally, the word comrade” (comrade) you will only find in communist / socialist parties, as well as in Soviet textbooks in English. In other cases, "comrade Ivanov" is not used. Be well-mannered and friendly in communication, and the right forms of address will serve you well. Absorb English and be polite!

Big and friendly family EnglishDom

It was impossible in a social network or on someone's personal page. Men could only guess whether the girl was married or not, or maybe just ask directly. In different countries, unmarried girls differed from their opposite outfits, and in particular headdresses. In Western European countries, the girls did not differ from each other in any way, so it was possible to find out whether she was Miss or Mrs. only by asking her herself.

Differences

Let's try to figure it out. What is the difference between Miss and Mrs? And the fact that the appeal "miss" plus the girl's name indicated that the girl was not married. Sometimes, when meeting, the ladies themselves introduced themselves, thereby showing their unmarried position. Unlike "Mrs.", - this was only addressed to married ladies. This was accepted and considered very polite. In Russia, this was not the case, the female gender was addressed as “young lady”, but it was not clear, because it could refer to both a married maiden and not.

Being in a foreign country, your attitude towards strangers is very important. The main thing here is to choose the right politeness formula, this, of course, if you want to get answers to your questions and not offend a person. And so that you are not showered with sidelong glances, try to remember how to properly address the delicate English female, Miss or Mrs. By the way, in England it became an exception that teachers and teachers were called only "Miss". This provision was adopted only in order to preserve traditions, since previously only unmarried girls were taken to work in schools.

Miss or Mrs

Etiquette required the observance of clear rules for addressing women. "Miss" and "Mrs" are an expression of respect for the lady. As a rule, the address "Mrs" was used in combination with the name of the woman herself and the surname of her husband. According to some scholars of the English language, such a separation of concepts did not occur until the seventeenth century.

When a woman becomes a widow or divorces her husband, she retains the right to be called Mrs. and bear only her husband's surname. But today these rules have become softer. And a divorced woman can take her maiden name, but remain Mrs.

Lady

Well, here we have dealt with "Mrs" and "Miss". "Lady" is also a kind of address. But it is applied to women who have a title and a high position in society, and also have an elegant appearance. This appeal is also used in combination with the name of the lady. The lady always behaves tactfully, correctly, she is not too talkative. Will never offend or humiliate the dignity of another person. The lady drives men crazy without much effort, and when she refuses courtship, the gentlemen remain her slaves forever. This address corresponds to the titles of men "sir", "lord" and "gentleman".

Conclusion

This means that the appeals "Miss" and "Mrs" are an expression of feelings of respect for the fair sex. Because a woman remains beautiful and attractive to men, regardless of whether she is married or not.

Now you know how to address this or that girl. You can use either Miss or Mrs - depending on her status.