monsieur

sir

noun muh-SYUH Common

Also means

mister

Usage Note

Monsieur is the polite address for any man — 'sir' when speaking, 'Mr' before a name — and dropping it can sound curt. Its odd plural is messieurs, the opening of mesdames et messieurs, and the irregular spelling hides the old mon sieur, meaning 'my lord'.

Examples

"Bonjour, monsieur."

Natural Translation

Hello, sir.

Literal Translation

Hello, mister

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