The Use of Personal and Business Titles in Mexico
In general, those of us from English-speaking countries are quite informal when it comes to communicating with acquaintances and professional contacts. In some school and university settings, it’s even acceptable to call teachers and professors by their first names. We have the culture to use first names while at work, even with our bosses. When we meet people during our daily lives at stores or on the street, once we know them, we use their first names when greeting and chatting. To call them by a title would be strange and very formal.
In Mexico, on the other hand, using titles - whether professional or not - is a way of showing respect. Whether speaking with acquaintances, teachers, neighbors, shopkeepers, or folks we pass on the street, we need to use the appropriate title. Although it might seem very formal or distant, not using the appropriate title could make your new acquaintance feel uncomfortable and that you don’t respect them.
When traveling in Mexico, it’s important to pay attention to people’s professions. For the majority of Mexicans, it’s not an easy feat to complete university and once one does successfully receive a degree, they would like to be recognized for their accomplishments.
If you have no idea about someone’s education level, or if the person doesn’t have a degree of higher education, there are titles to use which respectfully acknowledge their importance as a person.
Titles are used so commonly in the Yucatan Peninsula that one can go years without ever knowing their neighbors’ and coworkers’ names. As you walk down the street, you can saludar or greet others with a simple: ‘¡Buenos días, maestro!’ (Good morning, teacher!) or ‘¡Qué pasa, vecino!’ (What’s up, neighbor!). Although in the English-speaking world, these greetings seem strange, in Mexico they show kindness and respect.
If you visit a school - at any level - you will be astonished at how all the teachers greet each other as ‘maestro’ or ‘maestra’ without using any names. If you yourself are also a maestra or maestro it can be a bit confusing about who is speaking to whom!
Here we will break down the different uses of titles and provide simple examples of how and where they can be used.
Informal titles when you know someone isn’t a professional or you’re not sure
When you know know their first name
Don + first name*
/dōn/
‘Don’ plus a first name is a respectful way to say ‘Mr. xx’. It’s used for older men (40-50+) when you know they’re not a professional or you’re not sure.
OJO (NOTE): It is not common to use ‘Señor + last name’. If you know their first name, use it with Don at the beginning. So, if you’re going to greet Manuel Gonzalez, here’s how it would go:
¡Muy buenas tardes, Don Manuel!
Good afternoon, Mr. Gonzalez!
Doña + first name*
/DŌ nia/
‘Doña’ plus a first name is a respectful way to say ‘Ms. or Mrs. xx’. It’s used for older women (40-50+) when you know they’re not a professional or you’re not sure.
OJO (NOTE): It is not common to use ‘Señora + last name’. If you know their first name, use it with Doña at the beginning. If you’re going to greet Juanita Gonzalez, here’s how it would go:
¿Cómo está Doña Juanita?
How are you, Ms. Gonzalez?
*Among young people, you will hear simply, ‘Don’ or ‘Doña’ without their first name. Many of the older generation do not like this shortened version and they find it disrespectful. Remember to add their first name to the Don or Doña.
When you don’t know their first name
Señor / Señora (Sir / Ma’am)
When you are traveling, at times it is necessary to get people’s attention. If you’re speaking with an adult, it’s polite to simply call them señor for a man, or señora, for a woman. In Mexico, it’s very rare to add on a last name when using the titles señor or señora.
Disculpa, señora. ¿Cuánto cuesta esa blusa?
Excuse me, ma’am. How much is that blouse?
Vecino / a (neighbor)
/vay SEE nō/
Even when we’re traveling, we have neighbors! If you are staying at a place for a few days and see your neighbors outside, it’s wonderful to greet them. Although you’re there for a short time, this will make them happy to have you stay in their neighborhood and, who knows, maybe you’ll make some new friends.
¡Buenas noches, vecino/a!
Good evening, neighbor!
Joven (young man or woman)
/HŌ ven/
Even young people are spoken to with respect. When we don’t know a young person’s name, we can simply call them joven and start a conversation. Joven can be used for those as young as 13 through their 20s.
Con permiso, joven, ¿me puede ayudar?
Excuse me, young man, can you help me?
Formal titles when you know their level of studies or profession
Licenciado / a
/lee sen see AH dō/
Calling someone Licenciado (for a man) or Licenciada (for a woman) is a professional way to call someone who has completed a university degree not including engineering or architecture. You can add their first name after licenciado or licenciada but it’s not necessary. This is helpful if you’re in an office and need to speak with someone and show them your respect even if you don’t know their name.
Muchas gracias, Licenciada, por su valioso apoyo.
Thank you so much for your valuable help.
Ingeniero / a (engineer)
/in hen YER ō/ /in hen YER ah/
If someone you know studied any type of engineering, it’s common to add the title Ingeniero or Ingeniera before their first name. Even if you know their first name, it’s completely acceptable to simply call them Ingeniero or Ingeniera. The ingeniero or ingeniera can also be a teacher so you can choose which title to use when speaking with them.
¡Buenas tardes, Ingeniera! Quiero invitarte a mi convivio.
Good afternoon, Cristina! I’d like to invite you to my small party.
Maestro / a (teacher)
/mah ES trō/
In the English language, we don’t call teachers ‘teacher’. We either use their first name or Mr., Ms. or Mrs., or Dr. plus their last name. In Mexico, on the other hand, we call all teachers, including university professors, Maestro or Maestra. Teachers can be called simply Maestro or Maestra or their first names can be added, for example: Maestro Juan or Maestra Belinda. The wonderful thing about this is that even if you don’t know their first name, you’re covered in your greeting! When someone is a teacher, even sons and daughters-in-law can call their mother and fathers-in-law Maestra or Maestro.
In addition to calling a teacher Maestro or Maestra, if someone has his or her master’s degree, the title, Maestro or Maestra can also be used with or without their first name.
Disculpa, Maestra, ¿puedo hablar con usted?
Excuse me Ms. xx, can I speak with you?
Profesor / a (professor)
/prō fes OR/
The title Profesor is usually only used for university professors and isn’t as common as Maestro or Maestra. As with the titles maestro or maestra, it can be used alone or the first name of the professor can be tagged on. These days, many students will call their professors Prof and this shows a closeness between the student and teacher.
Prof , tengo una duda de la clase hoy.
Professor xx, I have a question about today’s class.
Arquitecto / a (architect)
/ar kee TEC tō/ /ar kee TEC tah/
In Mexico, if someone is a practicing architect, we call them by their title of Arquitecto or Arquitecta. As with the other titles, you can also add their name after the title or simply call them Arquitecto or Arquitecta alone. This is a mouthful of syllables, so if there’s a level of friendship and trust between you, feel free to shorten the title to just Arqui /ar kee/. If you were to speak with your architect, Beatriz, here’s how it would go:
Muy buenos días, Arqui! ¿Cómo van los avances con mi casa?
Good morning, Beatriz! How’s my house coming along?
Doctor / a
/dōk TOR/ /dōk TOR ah/
If someone you know or meet is a medical doctor, the title to use is either simply Doctor or Doctora or, like most other titles in Mexico, you can add the doctor’s first name after their title.
If the person has shared with you that they have their doctoral degree, and you’re in a more formal, usually academic setting, you can use their title, Doctor or Doctora, followed by their first name or simply just use their title.
Muchas gracias, Doctor, por tomar su tiempo conmigo hoy.
Thank you so much, Dr. xx, for taking the time to see me today.
Contador / a
/con tah DOR/ /con tah DOR ah/
If someone you know or meet is an accountant, you can either call them Licenciado or Licenciada or more specifically, call them by their exact title: Contador or Contadora. Just like most of the other titles, contador or contadora can be used alone or their first names can be added to it.
¡No me diga, Contador! ¡No quiero pagar más impuestos!
Noo, Mr. xx, I don’t want to pay more taxes!
Diputado / a
/dee poo TAH dō/ /dee poo TAH dah/
In Mexico, many people get into politics, not to genuinely help out their communities, but because they gain power and make a lot of money. If you meet someone who has a puesto or position in the Mexican government, they might be a diputado or diputada and like to be recognized for this position. If so, they will be pleased if you call them Diputado or Diputada. It is not necessary to follow up this title with their name.
Es un placer conocerle, Diputada.
It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. xx.
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