Abbreviation for "Madame" and "Monsieur": The right short forms

Would you like to use the correct abbreviation for "Madame" or "Monsieur"? We show you what they are and what you have to watch out for.

Madame - the short form

The French form of addressing Madame is aimed at women in general or specifically at married women.

• You shorten Madame with Mme. The small "me" is usually superscripted. No point follows Mme.
• The plural Mesdames is abbreviated to Mmes. Here, too, the "mes" can be superseded, the short form does not need a closing period.
• Unmarried women are addressed in French with Mademoiselle, the abbreviation is "Mlle" in the singular and "Mlles" in the plural.

Monsieur - that is the shortcut

Unlike Madame, there is no form for unmarried men.

• The short form M. for Monsieur - Herr - is always ended with a dot.
• In the plural one uses MM, here the final point is optional.
• Furthermore, the title Maître - for masters - is often used. For example with chefs, maître de cuisine.
• This form of address is abbreviated with Me, the "e" can be put up, there is no point.

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