Miss or Mrs, what difference does it make. Forms of address in English

Every year the rhythm of life is getting faster. Men in big cities live in a crazy mode, in the morning they rush to work, from work - home, in kindergarten for a child or to the gym. Hurry everywhere and everywhere, because so many things are planned. The desire to do everything quickly turned into our speech.

Abbreviations in Russian speech

To speed up writing or save memory on the media, they began to use more and more abbreviations when writing, which also passed into oral speech. From the words at least two letters, but will be deleted:

• “Push on the gas / brake” - press on the gas / brake pedal.
• "Magaz" - shop.
• Tele - TV.
• "Photo" is a photograph.
• "Infa" - information.
• "Laptop" or "beech" - notebook (laptop - portable personal computer).
• "X / s" - "hell knows."

Abbreviations are also used when writing:

• Spsb - thank you
• "Pzhlst" - please
• "Prv" - hello and many others.

There are abbreviations officially accepted and enshrined in academic reference books:

• "Those." - that is
• "Etc." - etc
• "Etc." - the like
• "Km" - kilometer
• "V / h" - a military unit and many others.

Imagine how difficult it is for a foreigner not only to learn these words, but also to figure out what they mean!

In English, too, there are enough abbreviations and abbreviations, and it is difficult for the uninitiated to understand the secrets of the language to understand the rules for using conventional symbols.

Abbreviated words in English

IN Western countries It is customary to address people, emphasizing their social status, age, gender and level of education.

The most common abbreviations Dr, Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms are used before the first or last name. In Russian, social status is not emphasized.

The difference between Miss, Mrs, Ms, Dr, Mr lies in determining the social status of a woman (married or not married), belonging to male gender and a degree.

It can be understood that Mr means "Mr" (mɪstər) or "Mr" when referring to a male person of any age, whether married or not, and without a degree. Used with a surname: Mr Holmes is a detective - Mr. Holmes is a detective.

Dr is an address to a man or woman who has a scientific degree or medical practice (in Russian Federation is a candidate or doctor of science). For example: Dr Watson is Sherlock Holmes' friend - Dr. Watson is a friend of Sherlock Holmes.

All abbreviations Dr, Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms in British English are written without a dot, in American English with a dot. For example: Mr.

Appeal to a woman

But the difference between Miss, Mrs, Ms is almost the same as was customary in pre-revolutionary Russia: when referring to unmarried girls - "young lady", and "madame" - to married ladies. It is difficult to understand if you have not studied the language, but nothing is impossible.

What is the difference between Miss, Mrs, Ms? Everything is elementary! The Miss address is taken in relation to unmarried girls, when you are sure that she does not have a marital relationship, and it does not matter how old the girl is - 1 year or 90 years old. Pronounced "miss" (mɪs), the indication is before the surname: Good afternoon, Miss Wood! - Good afternoon, Miss Wood!

Again, Miss refers to the saleswoman, maid and teacher, even if she is married. This is due to the fact that previously only unmarried women could teach.

At first glance, the difference between Miss, Mrs, Ms is small, but it is.

For married woman using the husband's surname, it is accepted appeal Mrs.(Mɪsɪz - "Misiz") from the word Mistress - Mrs. or Madam, mistress, lover, woman with family: Mrs Johns is a housewife. Mrs Jones is a housewife.

Mrs can also be used for divorced women or widows who give their first and maiden name after Missis.

The meaning of the difference between Miss, Mrs, Ms can only be understood by reading British newspapers or where more and more often a woman is addressed as Ms (mɪz, məz) - "mis" from the word Mistress does not depend on her husband. This is simply an indication of belonging to the female sex. If you don't know if a girl is married and don't want to offend her, feel free to call her Ms! There is no need to guess whether she changed her last name or not - the woman herself will correct the form of address, if she sees fit. This is a correct neutral address in English-speaking countries, a common greeting in business, an appeal to a woman emphasizing her equal rights with men.

Official address

Introduced in the 1950s, the word Ms was introduced in the 1970s to refer to feminists.

Miss, Mrs, Ms - the difference when referring to the female gender, adopted in Western countries, where status is given great importance. This abbreviation is also placed before the last name or estate: Ms Jane Clark has got a nice car! - Jane Clark has a nice car!

In newspapers and magazines, this is a common address policy. Even Judith Martin, recognized as Miss Impeccable Manners, recommends this form of greeting women in her books on etiquette.

Between Miss, Mrs, Ms, the difference exists only in an official setting, during a business meeting and communication of unfamiliar people. When talking with friends and relatives, just names and surnames are used without a word indicating a social status or just affectionate words.

Depending on the situation, we address the people around us in different ways. An address is understood as an intonationally and grammatically separate independent component, which is used to designate a person or (less often) an object that acts as the addressee of a speech. Here are some examples of invocations in English:

As you can see from the examples above, the type of address depends on many factors, in particular, on how formal or, conversely, informal the situation of communication is, on whether the form of communication is oral or written, and also on your and the interlocutor's age, gender , social status, profession and subordination relations.

Official forms of addressing one person in English

To address a person in a formal situation, English offers several polite forms. For example, to address a man, the following options apply:

With regard to each of the above forms, it is worth noting the following:

• the appeal can be applied to any man, whatever his age, social status and Family status; such an appeal is placed before the name of the addressee, for example: Mr. Johnson - Mr. Johnson;
• the appeal Sir should be chosen if the addressee's surname remains unnamed or unknown; in rarer but more honorific cases, Sir is an address to a person holding a knighthood (in the United Kingdom) and is placed either before the name, for example - Sir Richard / Sir Richard, or before full name and last name, for example - Sir Elton John / Sir Elton John;
• the appeal is placed after the full name. Message from Mr. in such cases, it should not be used anymore, since it will be redundant. This appeal has its roots in the medieval term Esquire (Esquire), which first denoted the knight's squire, and only later belonging to the lower strata of the nobility. The form is currently used quite rarely, more often in the written version.

To address a woman in a formal setting, the following forms are applicable:

The differences between the above forms of addressing a woman are sometimes very significant, in particular:

• appeal Mrs. sometimes addressed to a married woman and requires after her last name / first name and last name / first name and last name of her spouse, for example: Stevenson / Mrs. Jane Stevenson / Mrs. Paul Stevenson. The last option will seem rather unusual to a Russian person, but there is a simple explanation for this, because the form of Mrs. - this is an appeal expressing belonging to a particular man (Mrs. as a form of the possessive case from Mr.);
• the address Miss is applicable to an unmarried girl and requires a surname after herself, for example - Miss Brown, less often - a first name, for example Miss Alice;
• appeal Ms. occurs more often in business correspondence, while in oral speech one of the two forms indicated above is preferred. This appeal, applicable to any woman regardless of her marriage, is the result of numerous campaigns for women's equality. After the address Ms., recommended in 1974 by the United Nations, it is necessary to use the surname, for example - J. Simpson;
• the address Madam is used if the addressee's surname is not called or unknown, for example - Dear Madam / Dear Madam. In addition, the address Madam is also typical for use in relation to a high-ranking female person, while after it the position she holds can also be called, for example: Madam Managing Director / Madam General Director.

Formal address to several addressees

When verbally addressing a heterosexual audience, the most typical and acceptable form is Ladies and gentlemen! - which is translated into Russian as "Ladies and Gentlemen!" . In a less formal situation, you can find such formulations as Dear friends! — « Dear friends!"; Dear colleagues! - " Dear Colleagues!" or Esteemed colleagues! - "Dear Colleagues!" .

In an official written appeal to several persons (presumably mostly males), whose names are unknown, the wording is used Sirs / Lord , For example:

If there is a written appeal to a group of women whose names and surnames are unknown, the wording is applied Mesdames () / Ladies (Mistresses) , For example:

If the appeal in the correspondence is aimed at several addressees, and their names are known, you can use the wording Messrs ( [ˈmes.əz]) / Lord , after which these names are indicated, for example: MessrsJohnson, Smith and Robinson — Gentlemen Johnson, Smith and Robinson. However, this wording is now considered somewhat outdated.

Informal appeal

If you do not go far from the topic of the appeal in the letter, then it should be noted that when referring to a friend or good acquaintance, it is enough to call him by name or address by the wording Dear + name (Dear…) or Hello/Hi+ name (Hello, ...) .

In oral speech, it is also considered the most acceptable treatment by name. In this case, the diminutive form of the name can also be used, as in Russian, for example:

However, such forms do not exist for all names, and the treatment of naming the full name is still more common.

Another issue is that, unlike the Russian patronymic name, in English-speaking countries people sometimes have several names, which is associated with the Catholic tradition of “tying” the name of the patron saint or some relative to one name. At the same time, there is no patronymic in English. But of the several names given to a person at baptism, the first one does not always become the one that a person perceives as the main thing and would like to be called that way. For example: William Bradley Pitt is better known as Brad Pitt.

But in order to avoid misunderstandings associated with addressing by name, it is worth checking with the interlocutor: “ What should I call you ?” "What should I call you?" .

Be courteous and friendly in communication and desired forms appeals will surely serve you in good stead.

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 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.

WITH common moments figured out, now let's look at other forms of treatment.

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- contact form unmarried woman, 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 advice acting class was given to me by my friend John Wayne. speak 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 - we are with you 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, honey.
• 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

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 maiden name. Suppose, if a woman is divorced, she herself decides how she will introduce herself and sign official documents. There are two options: or "Mrs" with a surname ex-husband, or "miss" with maiden. 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 them to be identified. family 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".

Both words are used to refer to the fair sex. If you are studying English or are considering moving to English speaking country, you need to know without fail the difference between Miss and Mrs and in what cases to use these words.

Miss and Mrs: Difference

Since it is not customary for us to call girls and women with these words, many have no idea how they differ. Miss, Mrs, Ms and Madam are not interchangeable, so you should not confuse them.

"Miss" (miss) should be used when we are talking about an unmarried woman. After the word miss comes the name of the girl. Most often, this treatment is used for very young girls, aged no older than 18-20 years. Miss is also used if the girl is in this moment performs his professional duties (salesman, waitress, teacher).

"Mrs" (Mrs) (Mistress, missis) is the proper title for a married woman or widow. The full name is mistress, which is used as a designation for "wife", "mistress". After the word "Mrs." the surname of her husband is used. If the woman is widowed or divorced, Mrs. must be followed by her maiden name.

But what if we have no idea whether a woman is married or not? How not to get into an awkward situation? In this case, you need to contact her Miz (Ms). Usually this title is used with the surname of a girl or woman. This appeal was coined in America, in 1952.

The official address for a woman is Madam. It is used in cases where the woman's surname is unknown.

What is the difference between Miss and Mrs? Now that you know all the necessary information about these titles, you will definitely not get into an awkward situation. Well, if you have no idea about the status of a woman, call her "Miz" or Madam.