Sunny Spain has become an attractive holiday destination for many Russians. And for some it’s also a place of permanent residence. So the rules of courtesy are important for both those and others. It would seem a well-known fact: in Spain there are lords and lords, and this appeal has already become familiar. However, everything is not so simple. You can greet the seigneur without difficulty, but a special approach is needed to a female person, her status and age must be taken into account. Moreover, with the passage of time, the previously established rules have undergone changes.
Spanish men
Turning to a man in Spain and pronouncing the word "seigneur", you emphasize your respect for him, which, incidentally, is greatly appreciated by the inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula.
It is important to remember that you should add the last name of the man to this greeting. This form is considered common and secular. In the case of an informal conversation with the gentleman, whose status is rather high, the appeal "don" in combination with the name of the interlocutor will be appropriate. The plural of this word does not exist.
If there are many men and all of them need to be greeted, then you use the word "senor" in the plural - "seniors".
Note that the masculine plural is identical to the feminine singular of the genitive.
In the Spanish language, there is only a masculine and feminine gender, the first of which occupies a dominant position. The fact is that if you are talking about a certain number of men, then you are using the masculine plural. If you turn to a society where men and women are present, then again use the same form - "seniors".
Spanish ladies
There are official greetings when a distance is established between the interlocutors both in social position and age. In the case of a “short” acquaintance, when people are about the same age and of equal status, more democratic forms of treatment are used.
However, recently in Spain a more and more relaxed style of communication has been practiced, when people use only names in combination with words that define gender.
Spanish women should be especially careful, because when you address them, you emphasize their age and official status: whether the lady is married or not.
The word "señora" can be used as an appeal to a married woman of any age. If you want to greet the group, in which there are only ladies, then the word señoras (the feminine plural) will be very appropriate.
