On the one hand, it may seem that appeals in the English language are not particularly complicated: Mr., Mrs., Miss. However, here there are difficulties that should not be overlooked, but, on the contrary, disassemble and understand all the subtleties of English conversions.
Remember how differently you can refer to people in Russian. Indeed, the proximity of communication and social status depend on how you turn to them. You will rather name the boss Ivan Ivanovich, your best friend Vanya, and your five-year-old child Vanka. After all, we say hello to people in completely different ways.
Roughly the same thing happens in English. The British, as you know, are quite polite in communication. Let's try to understand what forms of treatment exist in the English language.
Ask your interlocutor how to contact him
The safest and most reliable option is to contact the person correctly - ask him what his name is worth. In English, a similar phrase is structured like this:
- What should I call you? “What should I call you?”
- Should I call you by your first name? “Should I call you by your name?”
- What should I call your mother / brother / teacher? - What should I call your mother / your brother / your teacher? (You can substitute any word for a person here.)
The previous three options are polite and formal. And in order to build a more friendly, informal phrase, you should contact like this:
- What's your name? - What's your name?
- Can I call you ... - May I call you ...
- Is it okay if I call you ... - It's okay if I call you ...
And if you are asked how to contact you, you can answer as follows:
- You can call me ... - You can call me ...
- Please, call me ... - Please call me ...
- Just call me ... - Just call me ...
Are appeals in English distinguished?
You probably know that in Russian all references are separated by commas. What about calls in English: does this rule work here?
At school you would be told: yes, it works. However, many English-speaking people simply ignore the rule of their native language. Although, of course, in the case when the appeal is at the very beginning, a comma after it is put:
- Mike, do you play tennis? - Mike, do you play tennis?
However, if the appeal was at the end, many English would write:
- Do you play tennis Mike? “Do you play tennis, Mike?”
In real life, an Englishman would simply not put a comma before a conversion in English. However, this punctuation rule is taught in all Russian schools and other textbooks. Therefore, if you pass any exam or test, write an essay or essay, remember: treatment in English is highlighted with commas.
- Do you play tennis, Mike? “Do you play tennis, Mike?”
- May I come in, Alice? “May I come in, Alice?”
- Wow, you are really good at it, dude! - Wow, you're really good at it, man!
Courteous English
With strangers and in a business style, you should turn to adults like this: Sir [ce] (sir; for a man), Madam [´medem] (madame, for a woman). If your interlocutor asks to contact you differently, call him as he asked.
Remember:
- Sir is a treatment for an adult male.
- Madam is an appeal for an adult woman. Usually men call women that, the fairer seldom refer to each other like that. The exception is only the appeal of the servant to his mistress.
Here are some simple examples:
- Sir, you dropped your wallet! “Sir, you dropped your wallet!”
- You are so beautiful, Madam! “You are so beautiful, madame!”
Mister missis miss
In English, there are three popular references that probably everyone knows: mister, missis, miss. But we will again explain in what cases they are used.
At the very beginning, it is worthwhile to understand that all these three appeals are used only with the surname after the appeal itself. If you name a man, for example, just mister, it will sound quite rude. Something like: "Hey mister!" We advise you to avoid this if you do not want to become rude.
- Mister (last name) - this is how they turn to a man. (abbreviated as Mr)
- Missis (last name) - appeal to a married woman. (Mrs)
- Miss (last name) - appeal to a young or unmarried woman. (Ms)
Here are some straightforward examples that use these words:
- Mr. Jones is sick, please come later. “Mr. Jones is ill, please come back later.”
- Sorry, Mr. Smith, I think I've forgotten my chemistry homework ... - Sorry, Mr. Smith, I think I forgot my chemistry homework.
- Mrs. Collins called us for dinner. “Mrs. Collins called us for dinner.”
- Ms. Brown was crossing the road, when I saw her. “Miss Brown was crossing the road when I saw her.”
- Mrs. Carter always was too kind ... - Mrs. Carter has always been so kind ...
How else can I turn to a stranger?
In addition to the usual “Mr.” and “Mrs.”, there are other appeals that you can use in relation to a stranger man or woman.
Let's find out what appeals can be used to unfamiliar men:
- Son, sonny, boy - this is how older people like to turn to young guys.
- Young man is a young man. As in the previous example, this treatment is used mainly by older people in relation to young men.
And appeals to women:
- Miss can be used without a surname, unlike "mister" and "mrs." This is usually addressed to the teacher or staff.
- Dearie, Dear, Love, Ducky - this is how older people quite often turn to young girls.
How to contact a person in a letter?
There are several ways you can contact a person at the very beginning of the letter. The following word is usually added in a business letter: dear (dear, dear). This is the most popular letter in English.
- If you don’t know the name of the person you are addressing, you should contact the person like this: Dear Sir (dear sir; for men); Dear Madam (dear Madame; for women)
- If you know the name of the person you are addressing, you can say: Dear and the name. For example, Dear Alex is dear Alex, dear Alex.
- In a business letter, it is normal to contact a person by name only if you have already communicated before.
- You can also contact a person using Mr, Mrs, Ms. Remember that this official appeal is always worth cutting.
In a less formal correspondence, the following references may be used:
- Dear Colleague - Dear / Dear Colleague!
- Dear Editor - Dear / Dear Editor!
- Dear Publisher - Dear / Dear Publisher!
- Dear Reader - Dear / Dear Reader!
Addressing people in a position
In English, there are appeals to people based on their position or profession.
- Your Majesty is Your Majesty. This appeal is used by kings and queens.
- Your Highness is Your Highness. Used by dukes, princes.
- Your Lordship - this appeal is used to the Lord, as well as to the judge of the Supreme Court.
- Your Honor is your honor. Such an appeal is also available in the Russian language, so it is easy to understand that in English it is used in relation to a judge.
- General - General, used mainly with a surname.
- Captain - captain, used with last name.
- Officer - an officer used in relation to police officers and also with a surname.
- Professor - professor. In the UK, this is only addressed to those who have a degree or the title of professor. But in the United States of America, you can contact the teacher of any higher educational institution.
We give various examples with all the above words:
- Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. - Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
- His Highness wants you to see. “His Highness wants to see you.”
- You Honor, I should to tell you what really happened. “Your part, I should tell you how it really happened.”
- They chose Adamson as their captain. “They chose Adamson as their captain.”
- Captain Bell, I want to see you in my cabinet. “Captain Bell, I would like to see you in my office.”
- Officer Janson, there is misunderstanding! “Officer Jenson, there is a misunderstanding!”
- Professor Robinson entered the class and we all stopped talking. “Professor Robinson went into the classroom and we all stopped talking.”
Appeals to a group of people
It also happens that you need to turn to a certain group of people, the whole team, and not an individual person. In Russian, we say: “guys!”, “Class!”, “Colleagues!” And English has its own words that you need to know.
- Ladies and gentlemen! - This is probably one of the most popular English calls that everyone knows. Translated, you guessed it, like this: ladies and gentlemen.
- Guys! - Guys! Used in an informal setting.
- Dear friends! - informal appeal: dear friends!
- Esteemed colleagues! - So in English they turn to their colleagues at work.
Affectionate treatment
Most often, we use various appeals in an informal setting. We call people close to us sweet, kind, sunshine and others. English also has nice messages.
- Honey - can be translated in different ways: dear, beloved, dear. This is a very affectionate appeal that can be used in relation to a loved one or child.
- Sweetie - sweet, sweet. For a loved one or child.
- Sweetheart is also for a loved one.
- Darling - dear / dear.
- Baby - of course, many people know this appeal. Translated as "baby."
- Sunshine - literal translation: "sunshine", "sunshine". In Russian there is a similar word-appeal: "sun."
Informal appeals
The English language has a huge number of informal, everyday appeals, with the help of which you can turn to a friend, friend or person close to you. However, it is important to know that the meanings in American and British English are completely different. To use the British word in the American environment or vice versa will be quite awkward!
Let's start with the British calls:
- Chap - old man, old man, buddy.
- Mate is a friend, friend. This appeal is also popular in Australia and New Zealand.
- Crony is a buddy.
- Pal is also a popular appeal in the United States, which can be translated as follows: friend.
Now let's move on to American appeals. As you know, the American language is more informal than English, so there are more "cheeky" calls.
- Homie is a friend, a friend, a pretty close friend to you.
- Amigo - amigo, friend.
- Dude - dude, buddy - a pretty classic appeal in the American environment.
- Bestie is a best friend.
Thou pronoun: appeal to God
Let's talk about turning to God in English. Have you heard of the pronoun "thou"?
In general, this pronoun was familiar to Great Britain and its inhabitants until about the 17th century and translated as the pronoun "you". Now it can only be found in works of early classical literature and various sonnets:
- thou - you;
- thy is yours;
- thee - you, you.
Now, using the pronoun "Thou", you need to turn to God, and, you need to write it with a capital letter.