Formal Titles in English

Formal Titles in English

In business situations, use formal titles unless the people you meet tell you otherwise. To get someone's attention you can say: "Excuse me, Sir" or "Pardon me, Madam/Ma'am." To greet someone you can say: "Hello Sir" or "Good morning, Madam/Ma'am."

The phrase "Yes, Sir!" (or "Yes, Madam/Ma'am!") is sometimes used by native speakers in a sarcastic way. For example when a young child tells his father to "close his newspaper" the parent might say, "Yes, sir!" and laugh. You might also hear a mother saying, "No Madam/Ma'am" to her daughter's request for something unreasonable.

hoc tieng anh co nhan , hoc tieng anh , tu hoc tieng anh

Here are the formal titles English speakers use:
 (listen to the pronunciation)

1. Sir (adult male of any age)
2. Ma'am (adult female - North American)
3. Madam (adult female)
4. Mr + last name (any man)
5. Mrs + last name (married woman who uses her husband's last name)
6. Ms + last name (married or unmarried woman; common in business)
7. Miss + last name (unmarried woman)
8. Dr + last name (some doctors go by Dr + first name)
9. Professor + last name (in a university setting)

When you are writing to someone for the first time, use a formal address: Mr or Ms + the person's last name if you know it. If you can't find the last name, use a generic title such as Sir or Madam. The respondent may address you by your first name and sign off with their first name. In today's business world, the following correspondence is usually more casual. If you write back a second time you can use the respondent's letter as a guideline. If they address you by your first name and sign off with their first name, you can do the same. (More on salutations and closings in letters.)

Occasionally you may have a close relationship with someone who typically gets called Sir, Madam, Mr or Mrs (for example, a business executive, a celebrity, a professor or a person older than yourself). At some point this person may give you permission to use his or her first name. In English we use the phrase "on a first name basis" or "on first name terms" to describe a relationship that is not as formal as it seems it should be. To describe this you would say, for example: "Pete's mom and I are on a first name basis" or "My teacher and I are on first name terms."