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- "هَل أَنْتِ دُكْتورة يا أُسْت…
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It's correct both in British English https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/ma%27am and American English https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ma%27am
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I believe the question was, are "ma" and "'am" two separate words. The answer is no, they are not. Ma'am is a single word.
But incorrect in the actual living language imho. No native English speaker conceives of "ma'am" as two words, regardless of the archaic origin.
I think more than anything it is a teaching tool. it lets you in the back door to say, 'oh, it's ma'am. that's right.' an easy mnemonic trick.
in standard Arabic this is someone respectfully asking a (female) teacher/professor if she has a PhD.
In dialect it means many different things depending on the dialect. (are you a doctor, ma'am? are you a PhD holder, ma'am? Are you a doctor, teacher?) etc.
Ustadzah is professor not ma'am, in arabic we call sayyidah for an honourable woman, not ustadzah. Ustadz is for male profesor (isim mudzakar) while ustadzah is for female (isim muannats)
I have a different confusion than "ma'am". The word Ustaaza should mean professor as was the case in previous exercises. So how we decide that it should mean professor or ma'am. Appreciate if any one can help.
Ustadzah is professor not ma'am, in arabic we call sayyidah for an honourable woman, not ustadzah. Ustadz is for male profesor (isim mudzakar) while ustadzah is for female (isim muannatsa)
mea domina -> ma dame -> madam -> ma’am (for centuries one word).
I thought the student was asking the professor if she had a doctorate. But not so: this is someone asking a lady if she is a doctor, correct? For example addressing a lady in a lab coat at a hospital whom one has not yet met.
Both meanings are correct, though the question is more likely to be asking about her being a medical doctor rather than a professor.
I don't see the point in using "ma'am" rather than "madam".
Ok from what I see in Wiktionary it's rather an American way of politeness. My English education is mainly British so I was very puzzled:
Wiktionary: In British English, ma'am has become uncommon In American English, the full form madam is limited as a form of address to certain highly formal environments, while ma'am is the usual term. Ma'am is not often used in the other sense of madam, but is used as a polite form of address toward: - a female teacher or school official in a school which emphasizes formality
In American English, ma'am is a common form of address to a female you do not know, especially if she is older than you are.
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In American English, madame or madam either means you are the female president of the United States (or some other high formal situation) or you are the female proprietess of a brothel.
The choices that were given in English didn't match the meaning of this sentence. The word "ma" in English is a slang term for mother and did not register in my mind as a shortened form for "ma'am." I understood the sentence but could not translate it properly given the choices.
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Only in Egypt say that, in other countries it sounds really weird. Saying are you a doctor, professor? Will make people laugh at you
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Ma'am should really be one word. Also, as a female, a doctor, and a professor, its really confusing wording/phrasing -- even if it (maybe?) is culturally appropriate.
This is ridiculous, the correct spelling is madam, and the course has so far taught that 'ustadha' is professor.
- It is the respectful way to address an unknown woman in the United States. 2. It is also added after "Thank you", "Yes", or "No" when speaking to any woman (even someone you know) to show respect (especially common in the Southern states)
It is the female equivalent of "sir," often used as a term of respect or to get the attention of a stranger.
How we can know ma'am is teacher? Why not the word teacher instead of??
It just means professor Arabic does not have a proper word for Sr. or Mrs. they just have an almost transliteration سيدية mrs سيدت sir but do not believe me... ask someone who knows!
...هَل أَنْتِ دُكْتورة يا أُسْت the three full stops indicates that the word is not finished.... but because Duolingo does not have those things very well sort out they are shown before هل... and looks as if the divided the word teacher (or ma'am) but not!
The right translation is : " هل انت دكتورة يا سيدتي ؟" This is Egyptian dialect, not classic Arabic.
