Dar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

dar — to give — is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Dar means to give: dar un regalo, dar las gracias, dar un paseo. Its present is doy, its preterite di (no accent) and its subjunctive dé does take an accent. It appears in set phrases — dar igual, dar miedo, dar la mano — and in the classroom: dar una clase, dar un examen. On this page you will find dar in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short texts that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself.

Example sentences with dar

In the present tense

  • “Yo doy clases de español.” — “I teach Spanish classes.”
  • “Ella da las gracias siempre.” — “She always says thank you.”
  • “Nosotros damos un paseo cada tarde.” — “We go for a walk every afternoon.”
  • “Ellos dan mucho dinero a la ONG.” — “They give a lot of money to the charity.”
  • “¿Tú das permiso para salir?” — “Do you give permission to go out?”
  • “Vosotros dáis la bienvenida a los invitados.” — “You welcome the guests.”

In the preterite

  • “Ayer yo di un regalo a mi madre.” — “Yesterday I gave a present to my mother.”
  • “Ella dio una fiesta sorpresa.” — “She threw a surprise party.”
  • “Nosotros dimos las gracias al conductor.” — “We thanked the driver.”
  • “Ellos dieron un concierto en la plaza.” — “They gave a concert in the square.”
  • “¿Tú diste tu opinión en la reunión?” — “Did you give your opinion in the meeting?”
  • “El banco dio un préstamo a la empresa.” — “The bank gave a loan to the company.”

In other tenses

The same verb in the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect — the four tenses that complete the picture. All forms come from the verified tables.

  • “De niño, yo daba un regalo en la fiesta.” — “As a child, I used to give a present at the party.”
  • “Mañana, yo daré un regalo en la fiesta.” — “Tomorrow, I will give a present at the party.”
  • “Si pudiera, yo daría un regalo en la fiesta.” — “If I could, I would give a present at the party.”
  • “Yo he dado un regalo en la fiesta.” — “I have given a present at the party.”

Dar in context

Cada día, yo doy un regalo en la fiesta. Mi amigo también da un regalo en la fiesta cuando tiene tiempo. Después, yo doy un regalo de nuevo por la tarde. Es una parte normal de mi rutina, y por eso el presente de dar es la primera forma que conviene aprender.

Ayer, yo di un regalo en la fiesta. Mi amigo dio un regalo en la fiesta también, y por la noche yo di un regalo otra vez. Fue un día normal, pero es justo en días así cuando el pretérito de dar aparece una y otra vez: una acción terminada, un momento concreto, y la historia sigue.

Common mistakes with dar

Mistake 1

Wrong: Yo dao un regalo.

Right: Yo doy un regalo.

The yo form is doy — dar adds a y, it is not dao.

Mistake 2

Wrong: Ayer yo dí un regalo — wrong accent.

Right: Ayer yo doy un regalo.

The preterite di takes no accent; the accent belongs to the subjunctive dé.

Mistake 3

Wrong: Treating dar as a regular verb.

Right: Learn the irregular forms: present doy, preterite di.

dar is irregular — its present and preterite do not follow the regular endings, so they have to be memorised as a set.

Quiz: dar in everyday use

Ten questions on dar across the tenses. Answers with explanations follow each question.

1. What is the yo form of dar in the present tense?

  • A) doy
  • B) das
  • C) da
  • D) damos

Answer: A — The yo form in the present tense is doy.

2. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of dar in the present tense?

  • A) doy
  • B) das
  • C) damos
  • D) da

Answer: D — The él/ella/Ud. form in the present tense is da.

3. What is the yo form of dar in the preterite?

  • A) dio
  • B) dimos
  • C) di
  • D) diste

Answer: C — The yo form in the preterite is di.

4. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of dar in the preterite?

  • A) dio
  • B) dieron
  • C) di
  • D) diste

Answer: B — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the preterite is dieron.

5. What is the yo form of dar in the imperfect?

  • A) daba
  • B) dabas
  • C) daba
  • D) dábamos

Answer: A — The yo form in the imperfect is daba.

6. What is the tú form of dar in the future?

  • A) daré
  • B) dará
  • C) daremos
  • D) darás

Answer: D — The tú form in the future is darás.

7. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of dar in the conditional?

  • A) darías
  • B) daríamos
  • C) daría
  • D) daría

Answer: C — The él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional is daría.

8. What is the nosotros/as form of dar in the present perfect?

  • A) ha dado
  • B) hemos dado
  • C) he dado
  • D) has dado

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present perfect is hemos dado.

9. Fill in the blank: “Yo ___ clases de español.” (I teach Spanish classes.)

  • A) doy
  • B) das
  • C) da
  • D) damos

Answer: A — The sentence needs doy.

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Yo doy un regalo.
  • B) Yo dao un regalo.

Answer: A — The yo form is doy — dar adds a y, it is not dao.

Frequently asked questions

What does dar mean?

dar means “to give” in English. Dar means to give: dar un regalo, dar las gracias, dar un paseo. Its present is doy, its preterite di (no accent) and its subjunctive dé does take an accent. It appears in set phrases — dar igual, dar miedo, dar la mano — and in the classroom: dar una clase, dar un examen.

Is dar regular?

No. dar is an irregular -ar verb (irregular in present, preterite, present-subjunctive, imperfect-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative). It is irregular in present, preterite, present-subjunctive, imperfect-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative, and those forms have to be learnt as a set rather than built by rule. The full conjugation page shows every tense.

When do I use dar in the past — preterite or imperfect?

Use the preterite — di, diste, dio — for a finished action at a specific moment, and the imperfect — daba, dabas, daba — for what was happening, what used to happen, or the background. The same rule applies to dar as to every Spanish verb; the tense changes the meaning, not the verb.

How can I practise dar?

Start with the examples above, say them aloud, then take the quiz on this page. For more practice, use the Spanish Verb Quiz and the Dar Conjugator, and read the full conjugation page for dar to see the verb in every tense.

Say it yourself

Reading is not enough — say the verb aloud before you move on. Use the forms from the tables on this page and answer these three prompts as full sentences. First, say a sentence about yourself in the present tense: “Yo doy…”. Second, say a sentence about yesterday in the preterite: “Ayer yo di…”. Third, say a sentence about tomorrow in the future: “Mañana yo daré…”. If you can answer all three without looking at the tables, the forms are starting to stick. If you hesitate, go back to the examples above, read them aloud twice, and try again. Speaking the forms is what turns a table you have seen into a verb you can use.

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