Dulcinea del Toboso
proper noun, literary
Dulcinea del Toboso is said roughly "dool-see-NEH-ah del toh-BOH-soh". She is the lady Don Quixote loves in Cervantes's novel.
In Spanish the name can stand for an idealized sweetheart, as in Es su Dulcinea. The place name El Toboso is a real town in the province of Toledo.
Meaning: the imagined lady of Don Quixote (proper noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The stress falls on ne in Dulcinea and on bo in Toboso. The c in Dulcinea is "s" in Latin America and "th" in most of Spain.
When do people say it?
In the novel her real name is Aldonza Lorenzo, a farm girl. Don Quixote invents the grander name Dulcinea del Toboso for her.
Did you know?
- The town of El Toboso has a museum about Dulcinea, and the novel by Miguel de Cervantes first appeared in 1605.
Examples in context
- Don Quijote dedica sus hazañas a Dulcinea del Toboso.Don Quixote dedicates his deeds to Dulcinea del Toboso.
- Para él, ella es su Dulcinea.To him, she is his Dulcinea.
- Visitamos El Toboso en nuestro viaje.We visited El Toboso on our trip.
Example conversation
Prof. Gil and his student Clara talk about Don Quixote after a literature class in Madrid.
- ClaraProfesor, ¿quién es Dulcinea?Professor, who is Dulcinea?
- Profesor GilEs la dama imaginada de Don Quijote.She is Don Quixote's imagined lady.
- Clara¿Existe en la novela?Does she exist in the novel?
- Profesor GilSe llama Aldonza Lorenzo, pero él la ve distinta.Her name is Aldonza Lorenzo, but he sees her differently.
