Madam or Madame | Difference & Use

Madam is a polite way of addressing a woman (the equivalent of “sir”), but Madame (with an “e”) is sometimes used in English instead of “Mrs.” to address a woman from France or another French-speaking country.

Madam vs Madame
Madam in a sentence Madame in a sentence
Are you ready to order, madam? How are you Madame Dubois?
Follow me please, madam, your table is this way. Marie Tussaud, better known as Madame Tussaud, opened her wax museum in 1835.

Madam meaning

The noun madam is used to address women in a formal context.

  • Staff in shops, restaurants, and hotels etc. use it when speaking to female customers.
  • We use it in the formal letter or email greeting Dear Sir or Madam.
  • We use it as part of salutations for women with high-ranking jobs such as Madam President, Madam Chairman, and Madam Ambassador.
Madam in a sentence examples
How was your meal, madam?

Madam Ambassador, distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is a great honor to be invited to speak to you today.

Madame meaning

The French word Madame is sometimes used as an alternative to “madam” or “Mrs.” when addressing a woman from France or a French-speaking country. It is capitalized if we use it with the person’s name, like Mrs., but not if used as a polite term of address without a surname.

Madame in a sentence examples
Person A: Good afternoon Madame Leroux. Welcome back to our hotel.

Person B: Good morning. Would you know if my usual room is free? Number 508.

Person A: Just let me check for you, madame.

Madam or Madame President

Madam (not Madame) is the correct spelling when addressing a woman with a high-ranking job by her official title in a letter or in person (e.g., Madam President, Madam Ambassador, Madam Secretary, or Madam Speaker).

Madame President examples in a sentence
The protocol is to address the President as Madam President.

Your next guests are ready to see you, Madam President.

Frequently asked questions about madam or madame

What does ma’am mean?

Ma’am is short for “madam.”

It is a common way of formally and respectfully addressing a woman in spoken American English (e.g., in customer service settings). It is not used in combination with the woman’s name.

Ma’am in a sentence examples
Can I be of any assistance, ma’am?

Certainly, ma’am. Whom should I say is calling?

On a related note, it’s important to make the right choice between madam or madame—only use the French word “madame” if you’re addressing a woman from a French-speaking country.

Have you tried QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to help you avoid spelling errors and typos in your texts?

What is the short form of madam?

The short form of madam is ma’am (e.g., “Good morning, ma’am. How can I help you?”).

On a related note, you can’t spell “madam” as either madam or madame—only use the French word “madame” to address a woman from a French-speaking country.

Why not run your texts through QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to help you pick up typos and grammar errors?

How do you spell ma’am correctly?

The correct spelling of the short form of “madam” is ma’am (e.g., “Good afternoon, ma’am. How are you today?”).

And bear in mind that you can’t spell “madam” as either madam or madame—only use the French title “Madame” when addressing a woman from a French-speaking country.

Have you tried QuillBot’s free Paraphraser to help you improve the fluency, vocabulary, tone, and style of your writing?

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Tom Challenger, BA

Tom holds a teaching diploma and is an experienced English language teacher, teacher trainer, and translator. He has taught university courses and worked as a teacher trainer on Cambridge CELTA courses.