Dar is one of those verbs that every beginner learns on day one – “to give,” simple enough – and then promptly gets confused by in real conversation.
The truth is, native speakers use dar in expressions that have very little to do with giving anything to anyone. It can describe a feeling, a lack of time, a Sunday stroll, or a completely indifferent shrug. Here are the five meanings that will make dar finally click.
1️⃣ Dar = to give
The classic meaning. Whenever something is being given or handed over, dar is your verb.
- Le doy un regalo a mi amiga. – I give my friend a gift.
- ¿Me das tu número de teléfono? – Can you give me your phone number?
⚠️ Watch out: “yo” form is IRREGULAR → doy (not “do”)
2️⃣ Dar = to cause / to produce (a feeling)
This is one of the most useful patterns in Spanish. Instead of saying “this scares me” or “this makes me laugh,” Spanish uses dar + the feeling noun. The thing causing the emotion is the subject, not you.
- Esta película me da miedo. – This movie scares me.
- Me da vergüenza hablar en público. – Speaking in public makes me embarrassed.
3️⃣ Dar = to have (time or opportunity)
This one catches a lot of learners off guard. When there isn’t enough time to do something, Spanish uses dar tiempo rather than tener tiempo. It’s one of those phrases that sounds strange when translated literally but feels completely natural once you’ve heard it a few times.
- No me da tiempo para desayunar. – I don’t have time for breakfast.
- No me dio tiempo a terminar el examen. – I didn’t have time to finish the exam.
💡 Note: You’ll hear both “dar tiempo a” and “dar tiempo para”. They mean the same thing — don’t worry about the difference yet.
4️⃣ Dar = to take (a walk, a turn, a look)
In English we “take” a walk or a look – in Spanish, you “give” one. Dar pairs up with a handful of nouns to describe actions that English expresses very differently.
- Doy un paseo por el parque. – I take a walk in the park.
- Vamos a dar una vuelta por el centro. – Let’s take a stroll around the city centre.
5️⃣ Dar igual = not to matter / to not mind
This little expression is everywhere in Spanish conversation. Use it when something makes no difference to you – or when you genuinely couldn’t care less.
- Me da igual. – I don’t mind. / I don’t care.
- ¿Vamos al cine o al teatro? Me da igual, tú decides. – Shall we go to the cinema or the theatre? I don’t mind, you decide.
💬 Polite tip: If you want to sound extra polite, try “Me da lo mismo” or add a smile: “¡Me da igual, tú eliges!”
From handing over a gift to shrugging off a decision, dar covers a remarkable amount of ground. The expressions in meanings two, three, and four in particular are things you’ll hear in almost every Spanish conversation – so the sooner you get comfortable with them, the more natural your Spanish will sound.
🗣️ Shadowing Practice
Listen to the audio and repeat each phrase immediately after the speaker, trying to match their pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm. All sentences are taken from the examples above.
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