Spanish word

señorita

Pronunciation

IPA/seɲoˈɾita/

Meaning

  • feminine nounyoung woman

Example

Perdón, señorita, ¿necesita ayuda?

Excuse me, young woman, do you need help?

Illustration for señorita (young woman)

More examples

Buenas tardes, señorita, ¿cómo está?

Good afternoon, miss, how are you?

Core concept

Address used to politely attract the attention of a young woman.

Common phrases

  • Perdón, señorita

    excuse me, miss

  • Muchas gracias, señorita

    Thank you very much, miss

  • Buenas tardes, señorita

    good afternoon, miss

Similar words

señora: Polite address for an older or married woman that expresses respect.
mujer: Neutral, general term for an adult woman.
chica: Casual, colloquial term for a young woman, friendly and informal.
muchacha: Informal, everyday word for a young woman used in spoken speech.

Definition in Spanish

Vocativo usado para dirigirse cortésmente a una mujer joven o para llamar su atención de forma amable en la vida diaria.

Word origin

The form comes from señora plus the diminutive suffix -ita, historically marking a younger or smaller person and thus used as a polite vocative for a young woman.

Usage tips

  • Some speakers find señorita old-fashioned or patronizing, and social preference often favors using the person's given name instead.

Other meanings

  • missnoun

Opposites

  • señorama'amnoun

Word lists with this word