# ladies and gentlemen



## 2PieRad

So, what's the equivalent of _ladies and gentlemen_ in your language?

(Context-addressing an audience at the beginning of a speech/making an announcement to a group of people/etc.)

I'm also curious which languages (if any) allow you to switch it around and say _gentlemen _first. ie. _gentlemen and ladies _(not idiomatic in English)

Thanks


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## apmoy70

In Greek it's *«κυρίες και κύριοι»* [ciˈɾi.es ce ˈci.ɾi.i] --> _mesdames and messrs_ while the older *«κυρίες, δεσποινίδες και κύριοι»* [ciˈɾi.es ðe.spiˈni.ðes ce ˈci.ɾi.i] --> _mesdames, misses and messrs_ is still a set address at the beginning of TV shows at least, even today.

*«Kυρία»* [ciˈɾi.a] (fem. nom. sing.), *«κυρίες»* [ciˈɾi.es] (fem. nom. pl.) --> _mrs./mesdames, lady/ladies_ < Koine fem. *«κυρίᾱ» kŭríā* --> _lady who rules_, it's the (Koine) younger feminine form of the older:

*«Kύριος»* [ˈci.ɾi.ɔs] (masc. nom. sing.), *«κύριοι»* [ˈci.ɾi.i] (masc. nom. pl.) --> _mr./messrs_ < Classical masc. *«κύριος» kúriŏs* --> _lord, ruler, possessor_ (PIE *ḱeuh₁- _to swell, be strong_ cf Skt. शूर (śūra), _hero_).
*
«Δεσποινίς»* [ðe.spiˈnis] (fem. nom. sing.), *«δεσποινίδες»* [ðe.spiˈni.ðes] (fem. nom. pl.) --> _miss/misses_ is a Katharevousa Greek feminine diminutive of the Byzantine Greek feminine *«δέσποινα» déspoi̯na* --> _mistress of the house_, a younger derivative of the Classical masc. *«δεσπότης» dĕspótēs* --> _master of the house, lord_, later _despot_ (PIE *dems-pot- _master of the house_ cf Skt. दम्पति (dampati), _lord of the house_).
«Δεσποινίς» has been replaced by «κυρία» regardless of age, or married/unmarried status nowadays.


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## Yendred

In French, the formal way is "_mesdames et messieurs_", for example in the context of the beginning of a speech.

But in a colloquial context, for example, someone who enters a shop where there are already a few people, you would often hear "_(bonjour) messieurs-dames_".

There are also some variants. There was for example a famous former TV news presenter who always started her evening broadcast with "_Madame, Monsieur, bonsoir_."


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## Messquito

We do usually say gentlemen first as the unmarked order in Chinese, if we do ever say that. (Although I for one have no problem with the other order and wouldn't be surprised if I hear it.)
Ladies and gentlemen.
各位先生女士
各位先生小姐 (小姐 is used as a euphemism for female prostitutes in, I believe, Northern China, so be careful with it)
各位 works sort of as a plural marker, meaning every.

However, I don't really hear those kind of greetings a lot in Taiwan in the situations given by OP.
Usually, the host/speaker would refer to the audience as their "titles"
e.g.
各位貴賓 Honored guests (I believe this is the most common one)
各位來賓 Coming guests (This one could be as common)
各位老師、同學 Teachers and classmates/students
各位官員 Officials
各位老闆 Bosses

If there is only one single guest of a certain title, then you put the title before 各位, the plural marker.
e.g.
校長、各位老師、同學，歡迎來到... President, teachers and students, welcome to...

Occasionally, in a more relaxed context, like a concert or anything related to the show biz, you might hear:
各位帥哥、美女，你們好嗎？ Handsome boys and beautiful girls, how are you guys doing? > How are you hotties doing?

If you wish to make it sound more relaxed, you could drop the 各位 and add 們, which is a true plural marker, at the end.
For example, in classes, you would often hear the teacher say:
同學們早！ Good morning, students! > Good morning, kids!
You could often tell if a teacher is strict or relaxed based on his/her choice between 各位 and 們.

Curiously, if you use both 各位 and 們, as in 各位老闆們, it kind of feels even more formal than just 各位, probably because it's longer.

Of course, there might be other subtle constraints that I might not be aware of; hopefully someone will add to it.


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## bibax

Czech:

*dámy a pánové*
_
(idiomatic equivalent of "ladies and gentlemen")_

*dáma* = lady, from German < French, in sing. also *madam* (ma'am!);
dáma is idiomatic in this case, the Czech word is *paní* (paní Černá = Mrs. Black) that is not used when addressing an audience;
*pán* = lord, gentleman, *pan* before a surname (pan Novák = Mr. Newman), voc. sing. *pane* (Sir!), probably IE origin;

In the period 1948-1989 (you can hear it in the Czechoslovak movies like Miloš Forman's Loves of a Blonde, Firemen's Ball, etc.):

*soudružky a soudruzi
*
_(Genossinnen und Genossen, compañeras y compañeros, I imagine Honecker and Castro)_

*soudružka* = female comrade;
*soudruh* = comrade;
*sou-* = con-, *druh* = fellow > soudruh = "comfellow";

The form of address _*soudruhu/soudružko*_ (voc. sing.) became so commonplace that it was used indiscriminately in essentially the same way like "Sir/Mister" and "Madam/Mrs" in English.


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## AndrasBP

Hungarian:

*hölgyeim és uraim* /'hølɟɛim e:ʃ 'urɒim/, literally "my ladies and my gentlemen"

hölgy: lady
úr: gentleman, lord (also in Biblical use)
*-eim/-aim* is a plural possessive suffix

I don't think there's a European language that would put "gentlemen" first.


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## Dymn

*Catalan*: _senyores i senyors _("madams and sirs")
*Spanish*: _damas y caballeros _("ladies and gentleman", _caballero _is lit. "knight")


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## bibax

German (unlike English and Czech) uses the possessive pronoun "my":

*meine Damen und Herren
*
In German and Czech you can use the adjective "respectable, honoured" in more formal situations:

sehr geehrte Damen und Herren

vážené dámy, vážení pánové
vážené dámy a pánové


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## TheCrociato91

In Italian I think it's more common to say _*signore e signori *(ladies and gentlemen) _but I'd also say it's fairly common to say it the other way round. Or maybe I'm just hearing things wrong.


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## Graciela J

Dymn said:


> *Spanish*: _damas y caballeros _("ladies and gentlem*e*n", _caballero _is lit. "knight")



Also: _señoras y señores._


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## 2PieRad

Thanks for the replies. 

Looks like only a few languages allow for _gentlemen and ladies_.



Messquito said:


> Ladies and gentlemen.
> 各位先生女士


What about 女士们，先生们...? I always thought this was the more common/generic way to say it.


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## Messquito

As I recall, I've only ever read or heard 女士们，先生们 as a direct translation of "Ladies and gentlemen" in, say, newspapers, news clips or articles on Western cultures.
If I ever encounter that in real life, I would take it that the speaker is trying to set the tone to be more "Western-style".
各位先生女士, 各位先生小姐 are already a little unnatural to me, let alone 女士們、先生們. They are perhaps both westernization of some sorts. Of course, if you live in some bilingual societies, maybe 女士們、先生們 would be more common. (Just my assumption, though.) In Taiwan, 各位貴賓、各位來賓, or anything along the lines of them (titles instead of genders) would still be more common. Even if we do want to bring up genders, most everyone would say 各位先生女士. Do keep in mind that this is coming from my experience growing up in Taiwan, and might be different from the situations in other Chinese-speaking countries or societies such as China, Malaysia, Singapore etc.

Edit: A Google search of 女士們，先生們 took me to primarily one of two types of results: the first type, are news reports or articles mainly about the usage of "Ladies and gentlemen" in western cultures. _"Ladies and Gentlemen" Banned by NYC Transit, _for example, was translated to 「女士們先生們」這句話在紐約地鐵被禁用了; the other type, are memes and videos that use "女士們、先生們" as a way to call for attention, as in, "ladies and gentlemen, we have a heckler here!" (We don't use that in real life, but thanks to Hollywood and the media, most of us are familiar with that usage.)


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## amikama

Hebrew: *גבירותי ורבותי* ("my ladies and my gentlemen")


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## KalAlbè

Portuguese:
*Senhoras e senhores* - Ladies and Gentlemen

Haitian Creole:
*Mèsyedam* - Combination of _mèsye _(gentlemen) and _dam _(ladies)


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## 2PieRad

Messquito said:


> Edit: A Google search of 女士們，先生們 took me to primarily one of two types of results: the first type, are news reports or articles mainly about the usage of "Ladies and gentlemen" in western cultures. _"Ladies and Gentlemen" Banned by NYC Transit, _for example, was translated to 「女士們先生們」這句話在紐約地鐵被禁用了; the other type, are memes and videos that use "女士們、先生們" as a way to call for attention, as in, "ladies and gentlemen, we have a heckler here!" (We don't use that in real life, but thanks to Hollywood and the media, most of us are familiar with that usage.)



Interesting. You're right. Not too many results showing people actually using 女士们先生们 in a speech to an audience, it seems. Though there are quite a few _how do you say_“女士们先生们"_in English？_ search results.  Seems to bring up a few airplane/airport announcement examples as well.


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## Sardokan1.0

*Sardinian :*

*Segnores e Segnoras -* Gentlemen and Ladies


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## Määränpää

Finnish: _Hyvät naiset ja herrat_

Good women and (good) gentlemen

("Women" is used because it includes married and unmarried women)


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## nimak

Macedonian

дами и господа (dami i gospoda) ['dami i 'gɔspɔda] = _ladies and gentlemen_


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## elroy

In Arabic: سيداتي آنساتي سادتي 

Two words are used for “ladies”: one for married women and one for unmarried women.  The word used for “gentlemen” works for all men, regardless of marital status. 

It’s also possible to just say سيداتي سادتي, using the word for married women only.


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## ThomasK

Dutch: *Dames en heren*...


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## Yendred

elroy said:


> Two words are used for “ladies”: one for married women and one for unmarried women. The word used for “gentlemen” works for all men, regardless of marital status.
> 
> It’s also possible to just say سيداتي سادتي, using the word for married women only.


Same situation in French:
_Mademoiselle/Mesdemoiselles_: unmarried women 
_Madame/Mesdames_: married women
_Monsieur/Messieurs_: men, regardless of marital status

_Mademoiselle/Mesdemoiselles_ is becoming less and less used, and is  replaced for women by _Madame/Mesdames_ in all cases.


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## Marsianitoh

Basque: Jaun-andreok. Gentlemen first, it's a set expression that admits no change in order.


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## V. P.

In Italian: :Signore e signori (ladies first).


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## bearded

elroy said:


> سيداتي سادتي


Please confirm that there is no ''and'' (wa).  Would adding wa be unidiomatic?


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## Welsh_Sion

*Cymraeg/Welsh

Foneddigion* ( < Boneddigion) *a Boneddigesau.*
Gentlemen and Ladies

As with Sarde and Euskadi - Gents, first!


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## AndrasBP

Marsianitoh said:


> Jaun-andreok


It's funny that Basque "andre" (woman) sounds like Greek "ándras" (man).


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## Welsh_Sion

AndrasBP said:


> It's funny that Basque "andre" (woman) sounds like Greek "ándras" (man).



Whereas Welsh 'Andros' can be the Evil One ... 

Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru 'Andras, Andros'

No aspersions cast on you, @AndrasBP!


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## apmoy70

Welsh_Sion said:


> Whereas Welsh 'Andros' can be the Evil One ...
> 
> Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru 'Andras, Andros'
> 
> No aspersions cast on you, @AndrasBP!


Interesting! I found its etymology:


			
				Geiriadur Cymraeg a Saesneg said:
			
		

> ANRAS: (*an* = negative prefix) + soft mutation + (*gras* = grace) > _an *r*as_ *anras* (obsolete, = devil, demon) > *andras* > *andros* (with a change in the final vowel).


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## Welsh_Sion

Indeed - you could have found the same in GPC, @apmoy70.


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## elroy

bearded said:


> Please confirm that there is no ''and'' (wa).  Would adding wa be unidiomatic?


I think I’ve only ever heard it without و.


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## matakoweg

In Dutch it is 'dames en heren' but this is no longer used by official announcements because people can feel offended by it.
For example, the Dutch Railways started their announcements in the past with 'Dames en heren,...' but now with 'Beste reizigers, ...' (= dear travelers)


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## bearded

matakoweg said:


> no longer used by official announcements because people can feel offended by it.


Please explain why/how people could be offended by those words.


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## elroy

bearded said:


> Please explain why/how people could be offended by those words.


I assume because some people identify as non-binary or gender-fluid.


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## bearded

elroy said:


> I assume because some people identify as non-binary or gender-fluid.


 I hadn't thought of that.
If so,  the Netherlands seem to be way more ''politically correct'' and sensitive than most European countries. Kudos!


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## DearPrudence

Yendred said:


> In French, the formal way is "_mesdames et messieurs_", for example in the context of the beginning of a speech.


I agree; this is the traditional phrase.
But you could also add what the SNCF uses on their trains (but others do as well):
*"Mesdames, Mesdemoiselles, Messieurs"
"Ladies, Young ladies, Gentlemen"*
(titles for married women, unmarried women, men)


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## סייבר־שד

matakoweg said:


> In Dutch it is 'dames en heren' but this is no longer used by official announcements because people can feel offended by it.


Honestly, the things some people get offended by nowadays...

Anyway, back to the thread's original topic.

In Mexico I've had the chance to hear both expressions used: _Damas y caballeros_ as well as _Señoras y señores, _though now that I think of it, it's not exactly uncommon for such expressions to be omitted nowadays. 
I'm somewhat of a regular classical music concert-goer, and more often than not presenters will just greet us with something like: 

_En nombre del Centro Nacional de las Artes les damos la más cordial bienvenida..._

or:

_El IMER les da la bienvenida a su primer concierto radiofónico de la temporada..._


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## Awwal12

Russian: дамы и господа (dámy i gospodá), lit. "ladies and masters/lords".


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