Canadian Etiquette: How to Address People by Name in Canada

In Japan, I think we usually address people we are meeting for the first time, people older than us, or our bosses at work as “[surname]-san”…

So what about in Canada…?

Most Canadians’ names are generally written as first name (given name) + middle name + last name (surname).

People usually start calling each other by their first names at an early stage, but at first, to show respect, please address the person with an appropriate title (such as Dr.) or a courtesy title such as Ms., Mrs., Miss or Mr., followed by their surname. (Apparently, when addressing French-speaking Canadians, you use “Monsieur” or “Madame” before the surname instead of Mr. or Mrs.)

It is said to be safer to use forms of address with Mr., Mrs. and so on until the other person invites you to call them something else (such as their first name or a nickname).

If you do not know whether a woman is married, start by addressing her with “Ms.” (pronounced “miz”) before her surname.

(If she does not like being called Ms., she will tell you so and let you know how she would like to be addressed, so please follow her wishes.)

It seems there are many things to be careful about, especially when addressing women.

At language schools and elsewhere, you will often be asked to call your instructors by name rather than “Teacher.”

Hearing bosses and staff call each other by their first names at work may feel a little strange at first, but that is the culture here, so it is not rude. Don’t worry!

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