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🎁 DAR: The Verb That Gives (a Lot!)
Learn how to use DAR in real Spanish!
Alejandro Nunez
April 22, 2025
🌤️ ¿Cómo está el clima hoy?
Ahorita está soleado en Austin, pero después va a estar parcialmente nublado.
¡Bienvenidos a Master Spanish Weekly!
This week we’re focusing on a very common and versatile verb in Spanish: DAR, which means to give. But like many verbs in Spanish, its meaning goes far beyond the literal. Let’s take a look at how it works and how you can use it naturally.
📘 Deep Dive: The Many Uses of DAR
Basic Meaning: “To Give”
DAR means to give, but it doesn’t stop there. It's used in everyday speech, formal contexts, and many idiomatic expressions. It’s also a verb that requires you to understand indirect object pronouns like me, te, le, nos, les, os.
Simple Examples:
Le doy un libro a Juan. → I give Juan a book.
¿Nos das un minuto? → Can you give us a minute?
Te di las llaves ayer. → I gave you the keys yesterday.
Conjugation Chart: DAR (Present & Pretérito Indefinido)
Subject | Present | Pretérito Indefinido |
|---|---|---|
Yo | doy | di |
Tú | das | diste |
Él/Ella/Usted | da | dio |
Nosotros/as | damos | dimos |
Vosotros/as | dais | disteis |
Ellos/as/Ustedes | dan | dieron |
🧠 Tip:
Both tenses are irregular for DAR, so it's worth practicing them often.
Indirect Object Pronouns Refresher
DAR often includes indirect object pronouns (me, te, le, nos, os, les) to show to whom something is given.
To whom? | Pronoun |
|---|---|
to me | me |
to you (tú) | te |
to him/her | le |
to us | nos |
to you all | les/os |
to them | les |
🗣️ Te doy el informe mañana. → I’ll give you the report tomorrow.
🗣️ Nos dan el día libre mañana. → They’ll give us the day off tomorrow.
Common Expressions with DAR:
Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
dar un paseo | to go for a walk | Vamos a dar un paseo por el parque. |
dar un abrazo | to give a hug | Me dio un abrazo muy fuerte. |
dar un consejo | to give advice | ¿Puedo darte un consejo? |
dar la mano | to shake hands | Le di la mano al jefe. |
dar miedo | to scare / be scary | Esa película me da miedo. |
dar ganas de + inf | to feel like doing something | Me dan ganas de llorar. |
dar igual | to not matter / not care | Me da igual lo que digas. |
dar las gracias | to say thank you | Damos las gracias por todo. |
dar clases | to teach | Ella da clases de yoga. |
dar una vuelta | to go for a stroll / to go for a ride | Dimos una vuelta en el centro. |
🧩 Mini Quiz: Complete with the correct form of DAR
1️⃣ Yo te _______ un regalo ayer.
2️⃣ ¿Tú me _______ una respuesta hoy?
3️⃣ Nosotros les _______ las gracias después del evento.
4️⃣ Ella siempre me _______ buenos consejos.
5️⃣ Ellos me _______ una sorpresa el fin de semana pasado.
🆚 English vs. Spanish: Subject Pronouns
In English, we always use subject pronouns:
👉 I, you, he, she, we, they...
However, in Spanish, subject pronouns are often left out because the verb conjugation already tells you who the subject is.
Yo, tú, él, ella, usted, nosotros, ellos, ellas, ustedes & vosotros are used only for clarity, emphasis, or contrast.
Watch my short video reel explaining it 👉 ENG vs SPA: Subject Pronouns
Gracias por leer
Gracias por ser parte de esta comunidad. Cada semana es una oportunidad para mejorar tu español y usarlo de forma práctica. ¡Nos vemos pronto en la próxima edición!
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Espero te haya gustado este boletín. Hasta el próximo martes. Hope you enjoyed this newsletter. Until next Tuesday!
Un abrazo,
Alejandro Nunez, Founder and Director.
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