# Spanish Culture -- The Words "Don", "Doña"



## Outsider

Are these words supposed to be used only when addressing the nobility?


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## beatrizg

Not in Colombia, Outsider. They are used more or less like Se•or or Se•ora.


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## Like an Angel

The same in Argentina, Doña=Señora, Don=Señor... there aren't very common words is here though.-

Cheers!


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## Outsider

Thank you for your replies. 
However, Colombia and Argentina are not monarchies. What about in Spain itself? Are the titles of "Don" and "Doña" reserved for the nobility there?


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## Edwin

My impression is that they are used with a person's first name as a little sign of respect. For example when I was in Costa Rica a few years ago some people called me Don Edwin.  Sorta like the old southern custom of using expresssion's like *Miss Scarlet* or *Mr John* (where Scarlet and John are first names.)  --only in Spanish I don't think it carries the same connotation of servitude as these expression carry in the old south (and still today among some).


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## haujavi

Here in Spain Don/Doña is not reserved for the nobility. However, today is almost unusued except in letters or official documents. That's why is most heard when speaking about nobility. I think it's too polite to call anyone "Don X". It's only used to show great respect about someone.

Besides I don't know if it's a written rule or just custom or I heard it bad, but I've heard when people get the Bachiller(medium studies) studies, they deserve the respect of calling them "Don" or Doña".

Someone has said it's used as Señor and Señora. I think that here in Spain Don is used for names, like "Don Juan" and Señor is most used for surnames, like "Señor Martínez".

I hope I'm right and I I have helped.


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## zebedee

At work (in Spain) I'm encouraged to use Don and Doña when speaking to clients, especially the older ones, where of course you would refer to them as Usted.

Also in legal contracts you see _Don Pepe Pérez Sánchez _ or _D. Pepe Pérez Sánchez_ y _Doña Pepa Gimeno López_ or _Dª Pepa Gimeno López._

Yes, it's formal and maybe a little bit stuffy but it's not just for nobility.

Hope this helps,
zeb


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## lauranazario

In Puerto Rico, "don" and "doña" are mostly used as a sign of respect and usually uttered by a younger person who is addressing (or referring to) an older person.

That being said, "don" and "doña" are not indicative of any privileged social status.... at least around here. 

Saludos,
LN


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## cuchuflete

I have a sense, to be confirmed or overturned by Zeb and others from Spain, that it is more respectful to address a person as, let's say, Don Fulano, than to call the same person Sr. Benítez.

Is this just my imagination?

gracias,
Cuchu

PD-- I'm only asking about custom and usage in Spain.


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## pinkpanter

Hi Cuchu,

Fulano does not sound very respectful 

"¡Eh, fulano!" Can you imagine?

Best,


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## haujavi

Yes, you're right, Sr is almost asepthic.


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## haujavi

pinkpanter said:
			
		

> Hi Cuchu,
> 
> Fulano does not sound very respectful
> 
> "¡Eh, fulano!" Can you imagine?
> 
> Best,


And don't you know the family of fulano? They are fulano, mengano and zutano, and his sons fulanito, menganito y zutanito.


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## Neru

haujavi said:
			
		

> And don't you know the family of fulano? They are fulano, mengano and zutano, and his sons fulanito, menganito y zutanito.


I've heard that they also have a few relatives living here in England:

Mr.So-And-So, Mrs.Whats-Her-Face and Dr.Some-Bloke-Or-Other.

They all have multiple-barrelled names, for some reason.


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## Narda

Certainly "Don Fulano" sounds like something!  But yes Cuchuflete, it is more respectufl to call somebody Don Antonio que Sr. Medina.  Besides, Don Antonio is more intimate.  I can be acquainted with Sr. Medina but certainly I would know better Don Antonio.


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## Edwin

haujavi said:
			
		

> Yes, you're right, Sr is almost asepthic.



Do you mean *aseptic*?  Or is that just the Spanish pronunciation?


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## Lancel0t

Here in our country (which was once a spanish colony) the term Don and Doña are usually used to address rich people (like the hacienderos) and people that have a high position in the government, though it is also used to show respect to elders. Nowadays, those terms are seldomly used due to the influence of other countries and perhaps you might still hear those words if you will go to some remote towns or provinces.


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## haujavi

Edwin said:
			
		

> Do you mean *aseptic*? Or is that just the Spanish pronunciation?


 
No, in fact in spanish it's "aséptico", so it's been my mistake, a overcorrection(if that word exists in english). I thought that aseptic would be too easy...


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## Outsider

Muchas gracias a todos.


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## cristóbal

Según tengo entendido, sí, en tiempos del Quijote, por ejemplo, el término "don" fue reservado para la nobleza y referirse a sí mismo utilizando "don" o "doña" sin ser de la nobleza fue mal visto (¿si no ilegal?).  Ahora, claro que no.

(As far as I understand, yes, in times of Quixote, for example, the term "don" was reserved for the nobility and to refer to oneself using "don" or "doña" without being of the nobility was frowned upon (if not ilegal?).  Now, of course, it's not.)


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## Artrella

In Argentina, these words are not used to show respect or high social level, on the contrary, they are mostly used by people from the provinces (maybe with not so much education) to address somebody.

"Oiga doña! Se olvidó el pan!"
"Don, lo puedo acompañar?"

Sometimes these words are used together with the name of the person mentioned.

"Doña Tota, la madre de Maradona"
"Don Diego, el padre de Maradona"


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## pinkpanter

haujavi said:
			
		

> And don't you know the family of fulano? They are fulano, mengano and zutano, and his sons fulanito, menganito y zutanito.



Jeje  I knew about fulanito, menganito but not of zutanito. Thanks for telling me


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## pinkpanter

Neru said:
			
		

> I've heard that they also have a few relatives living here in England:
> 
> Mr.So-And-So, Mrs.Whats-Her-Face and Dr.Some-Bloke-Or-Other.
> 
> They all have multiple-barrelled names, for some reason.



what a family!!

 

I love the dr. some-bloke-or-other. I didn't know about that one... Thank you for sharing it


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## ITA

Encontré el siguiente dato:
Don  (del latín dominus,señor) Título de dignidad,que hoy se aplica a casi todos los hombres de cierta dignidad y sólo se antepone al nombre de pila.Antiguamente se usó con los apellidos:don Gómez. En América se utiliza en el lenguaje popular:don Laguna.

Doña  Distintivo de las mujeres de calidad en España antepuesto al nombre de pila.
Desde Bs As ITA,(Doña Ita)


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## ITA

pinkpanter said:
			
		

> Jeje  I knew about fulanito, menganito but not of zutanito. Thanks for telling me



Seguramente la palabra correcta es Zultanito  fulanito,menganito y zultanito.Aunque tengo dudas de que sea con Z, es decir ¿es zultanito o sultanito?


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## pinkpanter

ITA said:
			
		

> Encontré el siguiente dato:
> Don  (del latín dominus,señor) Título de dignidad,que hoy se aplica a casi todos *los hombres de cierta dignidad * y sólo se antepone al nombre de pila.Antiguamente se usó con los apellidos:don Gómez. En América se utiliza en el lenguaje popular:don Laguna.
> 
> Doña  *Distintivo de las mujeres de calidad * en España antepuesto al nombre de pila.
> Desde Bs As ITA,(Doña Ita)



  
Lo de "hombres de dignidad" suena un tanto injusto para los no "don" porque pueden tener antepasados de un importante linaje pero ¿más dignidad? pero ya es íncreible lo de "distintivo de las mujeres de calidad"!! 

Las no "doñas" que somos?


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## pinkpanter

ITA said:
			
		

> Seguramente la palabra correcta es Zultanito  fulanito,menganito y zultanito.Aunque tengo dudas de que sea con Z, es decir ¿es zultanito o sultanito?



sultanito suena al hijo pequeñito del sultán


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## ITA

pinkpanter said:
			
		

> sultanito suena al hijo pequeñito del sultán


ja ja ja si es verdad  entonces será con S ?


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## pinkpanter

A ver que nos dicen nuestros compañeros y sabios foreros


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## ITA

pinkpanter said:
			
		

> Lo de "hombres de dignidad" suena un tanto injusto para los no "don" porque pueden tener antepasados de un importante linaje pero ¿más dignidad? pero ya es íncreible lo de "distintivo de las mujeres de calidad"!!
> 
> Las no "doñas" que somos?



Vaya uno a saber no? Supongo que en ese momento (me refiero a esa época) que te llamen "don " era directamente proporcional al dinero que tuvieras en el banco,o con cuantas tierras contabas creo que estaba muy lejano de la buena persona que uno pudiera ser.El resto ,nada sólo era el populacho el que laburaba (trabajaba) para que el otro sea el "don".
Las doñas  idem.
VIVAN LAS NO "DOÑAS".
Desde Bs As ITA.


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## cuchuflete

pinkpanter said:
			
		

> Las no "doñas" que somos?



apreciadas, adoradas, respetadas, abrazadas.......


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## pinkpanter

Vivan Ita!

Cierto Cuchu 

Gracias a ambos


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## Nsonia

I agree with Pinkpanther. But it is amazing that the same word "fulano" which is litterally taken from Arabic (FULANE = Untel in French, FULANA is the feminine), sounds not very respectful in Arabic as well!! 
To keep the matters "cultural", we rather call Mohamed anyone whose name is not know and Fatima for a woman. But in the latter case "Madame" is becoming more common.
Nsonia


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## haujavi

ITA said:
			
		

> Seguramente la palabra correcta es Zultanito  fulanito,menganito y zultanito.Aunque tengo dudas de que sea con Z, es decir ¿es zultanito o sultanito?


 
*zutano**, na**.*(De _citano_).*1.* m. y f. U. para aludir a alguien cuyo nombre se ignora o no se quiere expresar después de haber aludido a otra u otras personas con palabras de igual indeterminación, como _fulano_ o _mengano_.




_Real Academia Española © Todos los derechos reservados_ 

La real academia(al menos en internet) no recoge los diminutivos fulanito menganito o zutanito.​


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## psicutrinius

Well, in its origin, the word ("don, doña") was applied to anybody with a degree, starting in the secondary level (I am talking of times way back; certainly XVIII century at least), so I have no idea what specific level of education -or gained knowledge- this entailed.

You were a "don" afterwards, even if you progressed to "bachiller" and on to "licenciado" though, of course, one preferred to be known as "licenciado" if he had earned this level (and he was -in formal occasions- called "licenciado don".

Since the fact that the "don" meant having a degree, which was quite rare at the time, it also earned respect, and right now, this latter is the only meaning I guess.


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## psicutrinius

Ah, by the way, Nsonia: Don't call any woman here "fulana", please. That is, don't use the word except in general. You say "these over there are fulanas", they hear you, you are in trouble!


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## Bienvenidos

Well, I've seen it used in a more simple way (i.e. you don't need a degree to be a Don or Doña)

When speaking to a Spanish friend about his grandparents.

Yo: *Y tu abuela, Doña Rosa, ¿cómo está?*
*       Y tu abuelo, Don Carlos, ¿cómo está?*

When speaking directly to either one:

Yo: *Hola Doña Rosa, ¿cómo está usted?*
*       Hola Don Carlos, ¿cómo está usted?*

*Bien*


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## psicutrinius

Bienvenidos:

This is OK: I said it was so (as a holder of a degree) IN ITS ORIGINS. I said also that, since (then) the fact that being a "don" meant they held a degree, THAT commanded respect and that NOW, the original reason had faded away and it is used ONLY as a way to show respect.


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## Bienvenidos

Claro que tienes razón....I was just commenting (in a lighthearted manner) on how much the meaning has changed since its *origins* as a holder of a degree.

You know more about history than I do.  
*Gracias *

*Bien*


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## Gusso

Sólo hacer énfasis que el "Don/Doña" siempre se acompaña con el nombre de la persona, jamás con el apellido porque, al menos en México, corresponde a un agravio y falta de respeto. El equivalente a llamar a alguien "Don pendejo", en ese sentido.

Saludos


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## AmoL'italiano

Ha, you can always remember the Mafia and how the heads of their families were called, "Don ________" as a sign of deep respect (surpassing "sir" I think.) So, "Don Corleone." :-D I don't know if it's the same in spanish...

Dylan


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## luis masci

Psicutrinius, ¿de donde trajiste este hilo? ¿De tu viaje al pasado?  
Actualmente en Argentina al menos, “don y doña” son reservados para gente más bien de edad avanzada. Siempre van acompañando al trato formal (de usted). Contrariamente a lo que algunos comentaron el “don/doña” aquí acompañan tanto al nombre como al apellido (don Raúl/doña Rosa/ don Gómez…) e incluso van desprovistos del nombre para el caso de desconocidos. En una feria por ejemplo los vendedores dicen: “¿que va llevar don/doña? Inclusive como trato más familiar “doñita” (para las mujeres obviamente)


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## fenixpollo

Another use of Don and Doña that I have heard, at least in the Americas, is in baby talk.  To address a baby boy as Don __, using a diminutive tone, is occasionally interpersed with the odd "cuchi cu".  Even more diminutive is to call the baby boy "Don Señor" in that tiny, baby-talk voice that women do best.


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