Sometimes it seems that the question of politely addressing a stranger is a problem of the last decades, since our country said goodbye to "comrades". However, Griboyedov sarcastically over this topic, not without sadness, in Woe From Wit: “How to put the European in parallel / With the national? - something strange! / How to translate Madame and Mademoiselle? / Oh, madam! - someone muttered to me …"
Instructions
Step 1
Remember what forms of polite treatment existed in Russia in the pre-revolutionary era: sir / madam, sir / madam. These appeals have a similar meaning, since the latter version comes from the word "sovereign". Perhaps that is why these formulations are not very pleasant to use (I do not want to put myself in a lower, subordinate position in relation to the interlocutor). Nevertheless, in the official speech, it was the address "master" that was adopted. It's not bad if it enters into everyday life too.
Step 2
Gender-based address sounds rude: "Woman!" or "Man!" However, as applied to people of a young age, it is quite pleasant and has already become established: "girl" or a little archaic "young lady", "young man". Children are also often referred to on the basis of gender: "boy", "girl". There is nothing wrong with saying “young lady” or “young gentleman” beautifully and a little ironically, especially when the child is already big enough and you doubt whether it is possible to refer to him as “you”.
Step 3
Do not use treatment with family statuses: "mother", "father", "sister", "grandmother", "son" - this sounds impolite in most situations. "Comrade" - a universal appeal for both sexes - is firmly associated with the socialist past, so today it is almost completely out of circulation. The “citizen” that existed in those same years is customary in the context of judicial practice (“citizen investigator”), and also does not please the ear too.
Step 4
If all other words seem inappropriate, address the stranger impersonally: "Sorry, how to get through …", "I beg your pardon, I would like to …" or immediately, without any reference, proceed to the essence of your statement "Are you leaving?" Philologist Olga Severskaya suggests contacting people of the respective professions "according to their position": "Teacher, can you answer me …", "Doctor, write to me …". This is also a Western trend. But what remains to be done if the national linguistic culture of address in Russian society has not been able to form stable forms of politeness for several decades already?
