French · People & Family
"Miss" in French: mademoiselle
mademoiselle
Miss as a title in French is mademoiselle. You may still hear it in shops, but madame is often the safer polite default for adult women.
Hotel desk
Mademoiselle Martin a réservé une chambre.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce mademoiselle
Say it
mad-mwah-ZEL
/mad.mwa.zɛl/
Mad-mwah-ZEL. Soft d; stress on the last syllable. Often shortened to Mlle in writing.
"Miss" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| mademoiselle | Miss Title; less automatic than before. | Title; less automatic than before. |
| Mademoiselle… | Miss… Calling someone politely. | Calling someone politely. |
| Mlle | Miss (abbr.) Forms and envelopes. | Forms and envelopes. |
| madame | Mrs / Ms Safer polite default today. | Safer polite default today. |
How to use mademoiselle in real life
- 1Hotel desk
Mademoiselle Martin a réservé une chambre.
Miss Martin booked a room.
Title + name.
- 2Old letter style
Chère mademoiselle, merci pour votre lettre.
Dear Miss, thank you for your letter.
Written address.
- 3Calling across a shop
Mademoiselle, votre sac est près de la caisse.
Miss, your bag is by the till.
Attention-getter.
Mistakes English speakers make with mademoiselle
Incorrect: Monsieur Sophie.
Correct: Mademoiselle Sophie. / Madame Sophie.
Use mademoiselle or madame for women, not monsieur.
Incorrect: Miss Dupont, s'il vous plaît.
Correct: Mademoiselle Dupont, s'il vous plaît.
Use the French title.
Good to know
Official French forms dropped mademoiselle in favor of madame. In speech, some older speakers still use it; if unsure, madame rarely offends.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Pharmacy counter
ChatPal
Mademoiselle, vous êtes la suivante.
Miss, you're next.
You
Merci. C'est pour mademoiselle Leroy, une ordonnance.
Thanks. It's for Miss Leroy—a prescription.
ChatPal
Très bien. Mademoiselle Leroy a une carte Vitale ?
Fine. Does Miss Leroy have a Vitale card?
You
Oui, je l'ai ici.
Yes, I have it here.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Miss" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Miss" in French
How do you say Miss in French?
Mademoiselle.
Should I always use mademoiselle?
Madame is often safer for adult women today.
How is it abbreviated?
Mlle.
How do you pronounce mademoiselle?
mad-mwah-ZEL.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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