French honorifics
French honorifics are based on the wide use of Madame for women and Monsieur for men.
Social
- Monsieur for a man.
- Madame for a woman.
- Mademoiselle is a traditional alternative for an unmarried woman.
In France, calling a young woman mademoiselle is usually considered more polite, and calling a middle-aged woman mademoiselle can be a way to tell her that she looks like she is in her twenties and may therefore be considered flattering.
Professional
- Docteur is used for medical practitioners, while professeur is used for professors and teachers. The holders of a doctorate other than medical are generally not referred to as docteur, though they have the legal right to use the title; professors in academia use the style monsieur le professeur rather than the honorific plain professeur.
- Maître.
- Judges are called Monsieur le Président or Madame la Présidente if they preside over a court of justice, or Monsieur le Juge and Madame la Juge otherwise.
Religious
Catholic clergy use several specific honorifics.- Son Eminence, Monsieur le Cardinal: Cardinals.
- Son Excellence, Monseigneur: Bishops, archbishops.
- Monsieur l'abbé, Mon Père: priests.
- Dom, Mon Père/Frère: Benedictine monks.
- Le Révérend Père, Mon Père: abbots and some other regular clergy.
- Frère, Mon Frère: regular clergy unless style with Père.
- La Révérende Mère, Ma Mère: abbesses.
- Sœur, Ma Sœur: nuns.
Nobility and royalty
Kings of France used the honorific sire; princes monseigneur; and queens and princesses were plain madame.Nobles of the rank of duke used Monsieur le duc or Madame la duchesse, non-royal princes used Prince or Princesse, other noblemen monsieur and madame. Only servants ever addressed their employer as Monsieur le comte or Madame la baronne.