sir

sir — noun

1. a respectful word people use to speak directly to a man, commonly heard in custo

1.名詞A2
釋義

a respectful word people use to speak directly to a man, commonly heard in customer settings like cafés, stores, and airports, and also used when speaking to someone in charge, such as a judge, police officer, or commanding officer.

例句

The waiter asked, "Would you like to see the dessert menu, sir?"

used by service staff addressing a customer

Caleb held the door open and said, "After you, sir."

同義詞
  • Mr.

    used with a family name, not as direct address without a name

  • gentleman

    a polite term for a man, but not used in direct address as 'sir' is

反義詞
  • madam

    the equivalent polite address term for a woman

文法句型

used in direct address, no determiner

用法筆記

Frequently used in customer-service roles (waiters, flight attendants, hotel staff) and by officials (police officers, security guards). The word never takes a determiner (a, the) when used in direct address.

常見錯誤

❌Thank you, a sir.
✅Thank you, sir.
💡Do not use an article (a, an, the) before 'sir' when addressing someone directly.
❌Dear my sir
✅Dear Sir
💡In letter openings, no possessive or article is used before 'Sir'.

2. a respectful way for schoolchildren to address a man who teaches them, found esp

2.名詞A2
釋義

a respectful way for schoolchildren to address a man who teaches them, found especially in British and Commonwealth classrooms.

例句

"Sir, I have finished my homework," said Amelia, handing in her notebook.

student addressing a teacher in class

Liam put up his hand and asked, "Sir, could you explain question three again?"

student asking a teacher for help in class

同義詞
  • Mr. [last name]

    the standard way to address a male teacher in most English-speaking contexts

  • teacher

    used in some Asian and African English varieties as a direct address for teachers

反義詞
  • miss

    the equivalent polite address term for a female teacher

文法句型

used in direct address by students

用法筆記

Primarily used in British and Commonwealth schools. In American English, students typically use 'Mr. [last name]' instead of 'sir' for teachers. This sense is almost never used for female teachers (use 'miss' or 'Ms.' instead).

常見錯誤

❌Good morning, Sir Smith.
✅Good morning, sir.
💡Do not add a name after 'sir' in this usage; use 'Mr. Smith' instead.
❌Sir, may I go to the bathroom?' (in US schools)
✅Mr. Johnson, may I go to the bathroom?
💡In American English, 'sir' is not the standard way to address a teacher.

3. a respectful word added after a person's rank, title, or first name in formal or

3.名詞B1
釋義

a respectful word added after a person's rank, title, or first name in formal or military contexts to show additional deference.

例句

The soldier stood at attention and replied, "Yes, Colonel, sir."

used after a military rank

"Thank you, Judge, sir," the lawyer said with a bow.

文法句型

used after a title or name

used in military/formal address

用法筆記

Common in military and courtroom settings. When used after a rank (e.g. 'Colonel, sir'), the comma before 'sir' is important in writing. This sense differs from Sense 1 in that 'sir' is an additional courtesy layered on top of an existing form of address rather than the primary form of address.

常見錯誤

❌Yes sir Colonel.
✅Yes, Colonel, sir.
💡Place 'sir' after the rank or name, separated by a comma.

4. the first word of a formal letter salutation directed at a male recipient whose

4.名詞B1
釋義

the first word of a formal letter salutation directed at a male recipient whose name is not known. Its plural counterpart 'Dear Sirs' used to be standard for addressing a whole company, but today it is largely seen as outdated.

例句

Gabriel wrote "Dear Sir, I wish to apply for the job of accountant."

formal letter opening when the recipient's name is unknown

The complaint letter started, "Dear Sir, I wish to report a problem with internet service."

同義詞

文法句型

Dear Sir

Dear Sirs

用法筆記

Use 'Dear Sir' only when the recipient is known to be male. 'Dear Sirs' for a company is increasingly avoided due to its exclusion of women; modern alternatives include 'Dear Customer Service Team,' 'Dear Hiring Manager,' or 'To whom it may concern.'

常見錯誤

❌Dear sir' (lowercase)
✅Dear Sir
💡Capitalize 'Sir' in letter salutations.
❌Dear Sir, I am writing to ...' (no space after comma)
✅Dear Sir, I am writing to ...
💡Follow the comma with a space.

5. a formal letter opening, written as 'Dear Sir or Madam,' employed when the write

5.名詞B1
釋義

a formal letter opening, written as 'Dear Sir or Madam,' employed when the writer is unsure whether the recipient is male or female.

例句

Mauricio wrote, "Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to enquire about the conference."

standard gender-neutral formal letter opening

The application form instructed candidates to begin with "Dear Sir or Madam."

同義詞

文法句型

Dear Sir or Madam

用法筆記

Distinguish from Sense 4: 'Dear Sir' is used when you know the recipient is a man; 'Dear Sir or Madam' is used when the gender is unknown. Many modern style guides recommend avoiding both in favour of 'Dear [Job Title],' 'Dear Customer Service Team,' or 'To whom it may concern' because 'Dear Sir or Madam' can sound outdated.

常見錯誤

❌Dear Sir,' when you do not know if the reader is a woman.
✅Dear Sir or Madam,' or use a gender-neutral alternative.

6. the honorific placed before a man's given name after he has been made a knight b

6.名詞B2
釋義

the honorific placed before a man's given name after he has been made a knight by the reigning British monarch. The word always precedes the first name — or the complete name — and may never appear before just the surname.

例句

Sir Paul McCartney was knighted in 1997 for his services to music.

knight title with first name

The Queen knighted the famous actor, who then became known as Sir Ian McKellen.

同義詞
  • knight

    the rank itself, not used as a title before a name

  • Dame

    the female equivalent of Sir as a title before a name

文法句型

Sir + first name

Sir + full name

not used with surname alone

用法筆記

Sir is always used with the first name only or full name, never with just the surname. For example, 'Sir Paul' or 'Sir Paul McCartney,' but never 'Sir McCartney.' The female equivalent for a woman who has been knighted is 'Dame.'

常見錯誤

❌Sir McCartney
✅Sir Paul McCartney
💡Never use 'Sir' with only the family name.
❌Sir Paul McCartney is a knight.' (correct but redundant)
✅Better: 'Sir Paul McCartney received a knighthood.
💡'Sir' already shows the knighthood, so saying 'is a knight' is repetitive.