5 – Married = Madame / Not Married = Mademoiselle The basic rule is simple. If the woman is married, you should say “madame” (even if she is a widow: once married, always “madame”.) If she isn't, you should say “mademoiselle”.

In French, madame literally means "my lady." Definitions of madame. title used for a married Frenchwoman. type of: dame, gentlewoman, lady, ma'am, madam.

The titles Madame and Mademoiselle are both used to address women in French, but they have different meanings and usage. Madame is used to address a woman who is married or a woman over the age of 18, while Mademoiselle is used to address a young woman who is not married or a single woman of any age.

French honorifics are based on the wide use of Madame for women and Monsieur for men.