How to Say ‘Hello ma'am, excuse me.’ in French
Bonjour madame, excusez-moi.
bohn-ZHOOR muh-DAM ex-kew-ZAY mwah
[bohn-ZHOOR muh-DAM ex-kew-ZAY mwah]
🇫🇷 In France: This is a very normal way to stop a stranger politely before asking for directions. In France, starting with [bonjour] first often matters as much as the question itself.
Phrase Breakdown
Bonjour
[bohn-ZHOOR]
hello
A standard daytime greeting used politely in many situations.
Bonjour, comment allez-vous ?
Hello, how are you?
madame
[muh-DAM]
madam
A respectful way to address a woman you do not know well.
Madame, votre sac est ici.
Madam, your bag is here.
Excusez-moi.
ex-kew-ZAY mwah
Excuse me.
A polite phrase used to get someone's attention or apologize.
Excusez-moi, où est la gare ?
Excuse me, where is the station?
Words in this phrase
excusez
[ex-kew-ZAY]
excuse me
Used politely to interrupt, apologize, or attract someone’s attention.
Excusez, pouvez-vous m'aider ?
Excuse me, can you help me?
-moi
[mwah]
me
Means “me”; attached here to form the expression “excuse me.”
-moi, je suis pressé.
Me, I am in a hurry.
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