# Mr. and Mrs. in Russia **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 21, 2006, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-and-mrs-in-russia/373588 "2006-09-21T17:01:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-and-mrs-in-russia/373588/1 "2006-09-21T17:01:52Z")
In English speaking countries the formal method of identifying a person’s gender is the use of Mr., Mrs., Miss and Master. Other countries employ a similar procedure e.g. Monsieur, Madame, and Mademoiselle in France. It seems that Russians have three names. From [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_in_Russian_Empire,_Soviet_Union_and_CIS_countries): > [@](#): > > It is obligatory for people to have three names: a given name, a patronymic, and a family name (surname). They are generally presented in that order, although the patronymic is sometimes omitted, just as English middle name or names are usually omitted. Women normally take the name of their husband (if married) or their father (I think) if unmarried, and add the letter ‘a’: > [@](#): > > Russian surnames usually end with -ov (-ova for female); -ev (-eva); -in (-ina)…The ending -iy (-aya) is common in both Russia and Ukraine. I can’t find any detail concerning the use of a formal ‘Mr’ and ‘Mrs’ in the Russian language. For example: > [@](#): > > The first name followed by the patronymic is usually used in formal or respective forms of address. In the media, the respected persons (e.g. leaders of the Soviet Union and Russia) are sometimes mentioned using their full names (first name + patronymic + family name). I am curious to know whether or not there a Russian equivalent to the English Mr. and Mrs. and under what circumstances these terms are used. Or are the appellations unnecessary? Many thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-and-mrs-in-russia/373588/2 "2006-09-21T17:15:11Z")
Mr = Gospodin The female form is Gospazha but I don’t know whether it applies to married women, unmarried women, or both. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-and-mrs-in-russia/373588/3 "2006-09-21T17:44:15Z")
Gospodin (Господин ), Gospazah (Госпожа ), and Gospazitza (Госпожица ) are the Russian equivilents of Mister/Master, Mistriss/Missis, and Miss respectively. Madam (Мадам ) is also used in a formal context (as in Madam \) as with American English but is not in informal use. I think the terms fell out of common parlance with the rise of Communism, replaced by the gender neutral Comrade (товарищ ), but have come back into limited use after the collapse of Soviet Communism. (The term Comrade is still in use in official titles, at least in the military, similar to the way American jourists are referred to as “The Honorable Hosebag Longwinded”.) There are a variety of other terms that also serve with varying degrees of informality and familiarity, but I’m not current enough on my Russian lexicon to know how and when they are used, though I know that the term молодой человек (young man) is often used by and to men of all ages. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-and-mrs-in-russia/373588/4 "2006-09-21T18:56:07Z")
IME, while you would might use Gospodin, etc with a foriegner, to use it to describe a native would be somewhere between rare and bizarre. Where an English speaker would say “Mrs. Ivanova”, a Russian speaker would say “Irina Igorevna”. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-and-mrs-in-russia/373588/5 "2006-09-21T19:04:21Z")
Cite from Genevra Gerhart’s _The Russian’s World: Life and Language_ (1994) p. 63 Господин Смирнов (Mr. Smirnov), Госпожа Смирнова (Ms. Smirnov) was formerly only used in diplomatic circles toward or from foreigners of the non-Communist persuasion. (This was the common pre-Revolutionary form of address abandoned earlier because its root is “Lord” Господь.) Nowadays the title is coming into use again, but 70 years of “Comrade” makes any address form difficult. Nothing sounds right unless you are talking to someone you know, in which case a title is not necessary. Newspapers use [gospodin]. In the store, calling the cashier [gospozhá] remains quite a ways from thinkable. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-and-mrs-in-russia/373588/6 "2006-09-21T20:05:44Z")
It should be noted that the Western custom of politeness calling for Mr-type-title-plus-surname until invited to use the first name is not a Russian usage, for the most part. Gospodin or Tovarishch with the surname is an accommodation to Western usage, much as we would address the gentleman as Monsieur Chirac, not Mr. Chirac. Polite usage, including almost all circumstances, is to use first name plus patronymic, which is why it is well nigh universally asked for and given. In other words, a polite nine-year-old, introduced to a high dignatory named Ivan Dmitrovich Smolenski, would not say, “Zdravstuitye, Gospodin Smolenski” but “Zdravstuitye, Ivan Dimitrovich” with perfect courtesy and no smartaleckiness implied. The first-name/_tutoyer_ usage is in being invited to drop the patronymic and address by first name **only**. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-and-mrs-in-russia/373588/7 "2006-09-21T20:31:10Z")
Would somelike President Putin be addressed as; Mr President, Your Excellecy, or Vladimir Vladimirovich\> ---
**Author:** ![Neptunian\_Slug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Neptunian\_Slug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptunian_Slug)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-and-mrs-in-russia/373588/8 "2006-09-22T01:44:19Z")
[QUOTE=alphaboi867] Would somelike President Putin be addressed as; Mr President, Your Excellecy, or Vladimir Vladimirovich\> [/QUOTE] Vladimir Vladimirovich. Perfectly respectful. ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-and-mrs-in-russia/373588/9 "2006-09-22T08:31:48Z")
Isn’t молодой человек (young man) and девочка (young woman/miss) used? ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-and-mrs-in-russia/373588/10 "2006-09-22T11:42:26Z")
[QUOTE=Rune] Isn’t молодой человек (young man) and девочка (young woman/miss) used? [/QUOTE] Only if you don’t know the person’s name (strangers on the street, etc.), or ironically, as a parent would use a misbehaving child’s full name in a scolding voice. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-and-mrs-in-russia/373588/11 "2006-09-22T13:34:44Z")
On most application forms in the UK there is a requirement to state one’s gender. This detail is also mandatory when filling in government and other official documents. Gender is indicated by writing Mr., Mrs., Miss or Ms. Alternatively there may be a box containing these descriptions, one of which must be ticked or three of which must be scored through, depending on the form. The same information is requested on a computer based form by the use of a drop down box. How is such information recorded on a Russian application form? If there is no method of so doing, it might make analysis of the total applicants difficult _i.e._ if the issuers of the form wish to know how many women have applied for their goods/services/driving licences/government benefits etc. ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-and-mrs-in-russia/373588/12 "2006-09-22T13:52:13Z")
I don’t have a Russian-language form handy, but the easiest way would be just to ask. Like the multiltude of forms in the US that have “Sex / Gender: M/F” on them. If you want to make it difficult, and you have only natives filling out the forms, you can parse the patronymics to find sex. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-and-mrs-in-russia/373588/13 "2006-09-22T17:50:48Z")
I doubt Russian form filling activities are confined strictly to natives of Russia. Many people of different nationalities will be required to complete such documents. Furthermore, parsing patronymics for gender doesn’t seem efficient. > [@](#): > > I don’t have a Russian-language form handy, but the easiest way would be just to ask. Just to ask. Yes, that’s what I thought. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-and-mrs-in-russia/373588/14 "2006-09-22T18:15:43Z")
Speaking of patronymics, what happens if the mother’s umarried and the father doesn’t recognize the child? Is it given a matronymic? ---
**Author:** ![snorkmaiden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@snorkmaiden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snorkmaiden)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-and-mrs-in-russia/373588/15 "2006-09-22T20:53:35Z")
[QUOTE=alphaboi867] Speaking of patronymics, what happens if the mother’s umarried and the father doesn’t recognize the child? Is it given a matronymic? [/QUOTE] There is no matronymic. The child will usually have the biological father’s name, unless the mother is completely opposed, in which case any other male name can be used. [Gandfather, or ANY male name]