Dar Preterite Tense Conjugation in Spanish

The preterite of dar — to give — is the form you need for finished actions in the past. 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. This page gives you the complete preterite table for dar, how it is formed, when to use it, the mistakes learners make with it, and a quiz to check yourself. The first example shows it in action: “Ayer yo di un regalo a mi madre.” — “Yesterday I gave a present to my mother”.

Preterite conjugation of dar

Every form in the table below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for dar. Dar is an irregular -ar verb (irregular in present, preterite, present-subjunctive, imperfect-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative), so watch out for the forms that break the pattern — they are the ones learners need to memorise.

Preterite indicative — dar

Person Form
yo di
tú diste
él/ella/Ud. dio
nosotros/as dimos
vosotros/as disteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. dieron

The gerund of dar is dando and the past participle is dado. The participle matters here because the preterite is often confused with the perfect tenses — keep them apart.

How the preterite of dar is formed

The preterite of dar does not follow the regular pattern. If dar were regular, the preterite forms would be yo → dé, tú → daste, él/ella/Ud. → dó, nosotros/as → damos, vosotros/as → dasteis, ellos/ellas/Uds. → daron — but dar breaks the pattern in this tense: the forms are di, diste, dio, dimos, disteis and dieron.

The preterite stem here is di-, which you cannot get from the infinitive by rule — it has to be learnt as part of the verb. The endings then attach to that stem: di, diste, dio, dimos, disteis and dieron. This is the same pattern the verb follows in the imperfect subjunctive, which is built on the preterite third-person plural, so learning the preterite pays twice.

A note on spelling: none of the preterite forms of dar carries a written accent, which is one less thing to memorise — but do not add one by habit. Copy the forms from the table above exactly as written.

When to use the preterite of dar

1. Completed actions at a specific time

Use the preterite for an action that started and finished in the past. For example, with dar: “Ayer yo di un regalo a mi madre.” — “Yesterday I gave a present to my mother”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

2. A sequence of actions

Use the preterite to list one finished action after another. For example, with dar: “Ella dio una fiesta sorpresa.” — “She threw a surprise party”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

3. Actions that interrupt an ongoing situation

Use the preterite for the action that breaks into a longer background scene. For example, with dar: “Nosotros dimos las gracias al conductor.” — “We thanked the driver”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

4. Sudden changes and achievements

Use the preterite for a change of state or something achieved at one moment. For example, with dar: “Ellos dieron un concierto en la plaza.” — “They gave a concert in the square”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

Preterite vs imperfect: dar finished, dar in progress

The preterite and the imperfect are the two past tenses, and choosing between them is the hardest decision in Spanish past-tense grammar. The preterite is for what happened and finished; the imperfect is for what was happening, what used to happen, and the background. Compare the pairs below — the preterite form comes from this page, the imperfect form from the full conjugation table.

  • Preterite tense: “Ayer yo di un regalo.” — “Yesterday I gave a present.”

  • Imperfect: “De niño, yo daba un regalo.” — “As a child, I used to give a present.”

  • Preterite tense: “Ella dio un regalo a las ocho.” — “She gave a present at eight.”

  • Imperfect: “Ella daba un regalo cada día.” — “She used to give a present every day.”

  • Preterite tense: “Nosotros dimos un regalo el sábado.” — “We gave a present on Saturday.”

  • Imperfect: “Nosotros dábamos un regalo todos los sábados.” — “We used to give a present every Saturday.”

Example sentences: dar in the preterite

Six sentences using only the preterite of dar, with English translations. Read them aloud — saying the forms is the fastest way to fix them in memory.

  • “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.”

Common mistakes with dar in the preterite

Mistake 1

Wrong: Yo dao un regalo.

Right: Yo di 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 di un regalo.

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

Quiz: dar in the preterite

Eight questions on the preterite of dar. Answers with explanations follow each question.

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

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

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

2. What is the tú form of dar in the preterite?

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

Answer: D — The tú form in the preterite is diste.

3. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of dar in the preterite?

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

Answer: C — The él/ella/Ud. form in the preterite is dio.

4. What is the nosotros/as form of dar in the preterite?

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

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the preterite is dimos.

5. Fill in the blank: “Ayer yo ___ un regalo a mi madre.” (Yesterday I gave a present to my mother.)

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

Answer: A — The sentence needs di.

6. Fill in the blank: “Ella ___o una fiesta sorpresa.” (She threw a surprise party.)

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

Answer: D — The sentence needs di.

7. Which sentence is correct?

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

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

8. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Ayer yo di un regalo.
  • B) Ayer yo dí un regalo — wrong accent.

Answer: A — The preterite di takes no accent; the accent belongs to the subjunctive dé.

Frequently asked questions

Is dar regular in the preterite?

No. dar is irregular in the preterite: the forms are di, diste, dio, dimos, disteis and dieron. There is no rule that produces them from the infinitive, so they have to be learnt as a set — the quiz above is a good place to start.

What is the yo form of dar in the preterite?

It is di. The yo form is the one learners use most and the one that most often breaks the pattern — for dar it is the form to learn first, before the rest of the table.

When do I use the preterite of dar instead of the present?

Use the preterite when the action is finished and tied to a specific moment — yesterday, last week, at eight o’clock. If the action was ongoing, habitual, or just background to another event, the imperfect is the right choice, not the preterite.

How can I remember the preterite forms of dar?

Say the six forms aloud in order — di, diste, dio, dimos, disteis, dieron — three times a day for a week, always in a sentence, never as a bare list. Then use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself, and 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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