monsieur

Meaning

1. mister, sir (a title or form of address for a man, used with or without the name in direct or third-person address)
2. gentleman

Concepts

gentleman

sir

mister

lord

Mister

Mr.

Sir

Mr

gent

master

man

M.

signor

husband

Lord

Dear Sir

esquire

monsieur

father

priest

white man

white person

lady

MR

gentleman’s gentleman

valet

valet de chambre

mr.

gennelman

aristocrat

boy

dear employer

lordship

monseigneur

Gender

♂️ Masculine

Pronounced as (IPA)

/mə.sjø/

Etymology

From mon (“my”) + sieur, from the oblique case of Old French sire (cf. also seignor), ultimately from Latin senior. The first syllable has been reduced through frequent use. Loss of word-final /r/ was common in Early Modern French, but failed to established itself except in (most) words in -er. Monsieur and gars are two relics of this pronunciation habit.

Sentences

Vous allez donc partir, monsieur ?

So you're going to leave, sir?

Oh ! monsieur , il ne me gêne pas !

Oh, sir, he doesn't bother me!

Ne riez pas , monsieur , ils ne méritent pas les quolibets .

Don't laugh, sir, they don't deserve quips.

Le portier lui répondit que monsieur Derville n’était pas rentré .

The doorman replied that Mr. Derville had not returned.

Rue Saint-Dominique, numéro dix-sept , pas de monsieur Urbain Fabre!

Rue Saint-Dominique, number seventeen, no Mr. Urban Fabre!