dar
to give
A versatile verb built around the core idea of "giving"
Encoding Strategies:
repetition
linguistic
Dar means to give. It's related to the English word "donor" (one who gives).
dar
to give
To hand something over to someone.
- Dame las llaves = Give me the keys
- Le di un regalo a mi madre = I gave my mother a gift
to produce, to yield, to bear
To give something is to produce or yield it.
- Este manzano da muchísima fruta = This apple tree produces a lot of fruit (gives a lot of fruit)
- El negocio da buenas ganancias = The business yields good profits (gives good profits)
to give, to make (a feeling)
When something gives you a feeling.
- Me da miedo la oscuridad = The dark makes me scared (gives me fear)
- Me da vergüenza hablar en público = Speaking in public makes me embarrassed (gives me shame)
to show, to play (a film or show)
A theater or TV channel gives you a film — it shows it.
- ¿Qué dan esta noche en la tele? = What are they showing on TV tonight? (what are they giving on TV tonight?)
to strike (a clock)
A clock gives the time.
- El reloj dio las doce = The clock struck twelve (the clock gave twelve)
to deal (cards)
To give out cards to players.
- ¿Quién va a dar esta ronda? = Who's going to deal this round? (who's going to give this round?)
dar a
to face, to overlook, to look onto
When a window or door "gives to" a street or view, it faces or overlooks it.
- La ventana da al jardín = The window overlooks the garden (the window gives to the garden)
- Mi apartamento da al norte = My apartment faces north (my apartment gives to the north)
dar con
to find, to come up with, to hit upon
When you give something, you extend it toward someone. Strip away the gift and you just have that forward motion — and "con" marks what you end up with at the end of it.
- Por fin dio con la solución = She finally found the solution (she finally moved forward and ended up with the solution)
- Nadie ha dado con la respuesta = Nobody has come up with the answer (nobody has moved forward and ended up with the answer)
dar por
to consider, to regard as, to accept as
To give something the status of something else. Por marks equivalence, stating what you're giving it as.
- Dalo por hecho = Consider it done (give it as done)
- Se dio por vencido después de varios intentos = He gave up after several attempts (he gave himself as defeated)
darle a
to press, to hit (a button or mechanism)
When you give something, you extend it toward someone. Strip away the gift and you just have that forward momentum. When the momentum lands on something that can be pressed or triggered, it does so.
- Dale al botón para encender la luz = Press the button to turn on the light (project momentum toward the button to press it)
to be into, to be hooked on (a habit)
When you give something, you extend it toward someone. Strip away the gift and you just have that forward motion and energy. And when you give your energy to something, you're interested in it.
- Últimamente le ha dado mucho a la guitarra = Lately he's been really into playing guitar (lately he's given a lot of energy to the guitar)
darse
to occur, to happen, to arise
When you give something, you present it, so when something "presents itself," it shows up or happens.
- Una oportunidad así no se da muy a menudo = An opportunity like this doesn't arise very often
- Se da el caso de que ambos tienen razón = It happens that both of them are right
to take to, to give oneself over to
To give yourself over to something — to surrender to it.
- Se dio a la bebida después de perder su trabajo = He took to drinking after losing his job (he gave himself to drinking)