Using the Spanish Verb Dar

The Spanish verb dar (to give) is very useful, especially to ask and receive good things in life. It can be used in a very literal way to express the idea of giving all sort of things, concrete or abstract, and it's also used in many idiomatic expressions. Let's analyze a few examples:

Let's start with the basic meaning of dar. The imperative mode is a big favorite:

Señorita, la foto es suya. -¡Dame, dame la foto!

Miss, the picture is yours. -Give me, give me the photo!

Caption 56, Yago - 3 La foto
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Remember that the actual conjugated form of the verb here is only da (you give). However, in the imperative form it is very common to attach object pronouns to the verb forms, in effect using them as suffixes. In this case the pronoun me (to me) functions as the indirect object of the verb. It's also very common to also attach more than one pronoun, for example to substitute the direct object as well. In this case the direct object is la foto, a feminine noun. So Morena could have also simply said dámela (give it to me). If there were many fotos it would be dámelas (give them to me), and if we were talking about, let's say, zapatos (shoes), then it would be dámelos (give them to me). You know, it's just an important thing to learn. There is a saying in Spanish that goes, al que no habla, Dios no lo oye (he who doesn't speak, God won't hear).

The verb dar is also used to deal with abstract ideas of giving. For example, just as in English we can say something like "you give me a headache," a Spanish speakers would say me das dolor de cabeza. Spanish extends the use of dar even more, though, to express ideas for which English instead uses verbs such as "to produce," "to yield," or "to bear."

Mil seiscientos cincuenta da el kilo y nos pesamos.

The kilo yields one thousand six hundred fifty and we weigh it.

Caption 8, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa
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Digamos en la costa, también da buenas frutas.

Let's say in the coast, it also produces good fruit.

Caption 18, Rafael T. - Guatemala Hermosa
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In fact, the list of uses of dar is quite extensive. You can learn many here and maybe try to find examples in our videos. We'll focus now on the use of dar in idiomatic expressions, where the meaning of dar (to give) is completely transformed into something very different. For example, dar is used to express that something happens:

No sé, se dio así.

I don't know, it happened that way.

Caption 24, Yago - 9 Recuperación
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There is also the expression darse cuenta (to realize):

Mirala bien y te das cuenta que es una minita.

Look at her closely and you'll realize that it's a chick.

Caption 10, Muñeca Brava - 2 Venganza
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The expression se me da por is used to express the idea of getting into the habit or liking of doing something. For example:

Papá, mira la casualidad,

Dad, look what a coincidence,

ahora que se me da por caminar te encuentro siempre.

now that I got into the habit of walking, I always run into you.

Captions 56-57, Muñeca Brava - 43 La reunión
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On the other hand, when someone says that something se le da, it means that something comes natural to the person, that it is a natural talent he or she has:

Que se me dan bastante bien los idiomas.

That I'm pretty good at learning languages.

Caption 4, Club de las ideas - Pasión por el golf
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Or not...

A mí no se me da eso de andar en reversa

I'm not good at driving in reverse

Caption 5, Gloria Trevi - Cinco minutos
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One last example. From the expression darse por vencido (to give up, literally "to give oneself as defeated") comes the useful question-and-answer pair, ¿Te das? - Me doy. You must learn both if you like adivinanzas (riddles). This is how you use them:

-Oro parece, plata no es. ¿Qué fruta es? / -It looks like gold, it's not silver. What fruit it is?
-No sé. Me doy. / -I don't know. I give up.
-¿Te das? / -Do you give up?
-¡Sí, me doy! / -Yes, I give up!
- Fácil. Es el pláta-no. / Easy. It's the banana.