sir

Everyday

1. A polite way to speak to a man whose name you do not know, or to a man in charge: "Can I help you, sir?" tree →
2. In the UK and Ireland, what pupils call a male teacher. tree →
3. "Sir" with a capital S is a title for a knight in the UK: "Sir Isaac Newton". tree →

In the lessons

In school in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, children may call a male teacher "Sir" and a female teacher "Miss". In shops and restaurants, staff say "sir" to be polite. In history, knights are called "Sir". Phrases: yes sir, no sir, Dear Sir.

Examples

• Excuse me, sir, you dropped your glove. tree →
• Please, sir, may I go to the toilet? tree →
• Sir Isaac Newton was a famous scientist. tree →
• "Yes, sir!" said the soldier. tree →
• The waiter asked, "Would you like water, sir?" tree →
• Our class calls Mr Brown "Sir". tree →
• Letters used to begin "Dear Sir". tree →
• "No, sir, by design," returned Aladdin. tree →

Note

For women the matching words are "madam" or "ma'am", and "Miss" for a teacher. As a title it is used with the first name: "Sir Isaac", never "Sir Newton". In the USA, children may say "sir" to show respect, especially in the South.