The verb "dar" means "to give" but it is also used in hundreds of expressions. The first table contains a selection of the most frequently used ones and then later we give some examples of less common ones.
|
Spanish |
English |
|
dar a alguien las gracias por algo
¿Le diste las gracias? |
to thank someone for something
Did you thank him? Did you say thank you? |
| No me da
la gana |
I don't
want to. / I don't feel like it. |
| Le va a dar un ataque
cuando lo vea |
he'll have a fit when
he sees it /
he'll go mad when he sees it |
| dar patadas a algo
/ alguien |
to kick something /
someone |
dar de comer
a
había que darle de comer al águila con la mano |
to feed:
the eagle had to be fed by hand |
dar en
el blanco
|
to hit
the target - to get a bullseye |
| dar un consejo a alguien |
to give someone some
advice |
dar ánimo(s)
a alguien
|
to encourage
someone - to urge someone on |
darse cuenta de algo
No me di cuenta. |
to realise something
I didn't realise. |
| dar una entrada para
algo |
to put down a deposit
on something |
| dar un examen |
to take an exam |
| dar fe de algo |
to testify to something.
Note: At the end of legal documents it often says "Doy fe" before
the signature. |
dar la lata
siempre está dando la lata
|
to be a nuisance /
to bother someone
he is always being a nuisance. |
dar cosa
Me da cosa preguntarle de nuevo |
to feel uncomfortable
/ awkward about something
I feel awkward about asking him again |
| en un momento dado |
at a given moment /
time |
| dado que |
given that / since |
dado por
...
dado por muerto |
presumed
to be ....
presumed to be dead |
dar pena
/ lástima
Me da pena ver a esas personas
A mí los que me dan pena son los niños |
to make
sad / to upset / to feel sorry
It upsets me to see those people
It's the children I feel sorry for |
| tuve que darle la razón |
I had to admit he was
right |
| dar saltos
de alegría |
to jump
for joy |
| dar señas /
señales de |
to show signs of |
| dar buena / mala suerte |
to bring good / bad
luck |
|
Nos van a dar las uvas
(dar las uvas a alguien) |
We'll
be here all day / night
We'll be here until the cows come home |
dar oídos a
algo
No podía dar crédito a mis oídos |
to take notice of something
I couldn't believe my ears |
| dar la hora / las cinco |
to strike the hour
/ five o'clock |
| dar una cabezada |
to have a nap |
| dar refugio a alguien |
to take someone in |
| dar (hasta) las entrañas |
to give one's all |
dar una pataleta
Le dio una pataleta |
to throw a tantrum
/ to have a fit
She threw a tantrum |
| deja de dar el peñazo |
stop hassling me |
| dar algo por perdido
|
to give something up
as lost |
| dar el
visto bueno a algo |
to approve
something |
| ¡Como se entere
su madre le va a dar un infarto! |
If his mother finds
out, she'll go mad! |
| darse un resbalón |
to slip (lit), to put
one's foot in it, |
| dar un volantazo |
to swerve: Note: "volante"
is the steering wheel. |
| dar una voltereta |
to do a somersault |
| dar en la tecla |
to hit the nail on
the head |
| dar un telefonazo a
alguien |
to give someone a buzz
/ a call (coll.) |
| dar un taconazo |
to click one's heels |
|
dar los últimos coletazos
Mi relación con mi novia está dando los últimos coletazos
|
to be on
its last legs
My relationship with my girlfriend is on its last legs. |
dar palos de ciego
Estaban dando palos de ciego, tratando de encontrar una solución |
to lash out blindly
(in a fight)
to grope around (in the dark)
They were groping around for a solution. |
| dar una paliza a alguien |
to beat someone up |
| dar una guantada a
alguien |
to slap someone |
dar una leche
dar una leche a alguien |
to crash (car, etc.)
to thump someone |
