Why Dar Is One of Spanish's Most Expressive Verbs
Dar literally means to give — but in everyday Spanish it anchors dozens of fixed expressions that have nothing to do with giving. It expresses feelings, reactions, attitudes, and social cues that learners encounter constantly but rarely produce naturally.
Learn these six chunk patterns and you'll unlock one of the most productive verb families in the language.
Pattern 1: Me da igual — "I don't mind" / "It's all the same to me"
One of the most useful expressions in everyday Spanish. Use it to signal indifference or openness — that you have no preference either way. Tone makes the difference between relaxed openness and cool dismissal.
- ¿Prefieres café o té? —Me da igual. — "Do you prefer coffee or tea?" "Either is fine."
- Me da igual lo que digan. — I don't care what they say.
- A mí me da igual, tú decides. — I don't mind either way, you decide.
Chunk to learn:
Me da igual (+ lo que + [clause])
Pattern 2: Dale — "Go ahead" / "OK" / "Come on"
A fixed imperative chunk used across Latin America (especially Argentina) to signal agreement, encouragement, or permission. Context determines whether it's enthusiastic (go for it!) or simply confirmatory (sure, OK).
- ¿Empezamos? —Dale. — "Shall we start?" "Go ahead / Sure."
- Dale, cuéntame todo. — Go on, tell me everything.
- Dale que dale. — On and on / keep at it. (repetitive action)
Chunk to learn:
Dale (agreement / permission / encouragement)
Pattern 3: Dar miedo / Dar asco — Feelings triggered by something
Like gustar, dar is used with indirect object pronouns to express reactions triggered by something external. The thing that causes the feeling is the subject; the person feeling it is the indirect object.
- Me da miedo volar. — Flying scares me. (lit. flying gives me fear)
- Le da asco el olor. — The smell disgusts him.
- Me da mucha pena verlo así. — It really saddens me to see him like that.
Chunk to learn:
Me/Te/Le da + [miedo / asco / pena / vergüenza] + [infinitive/noun]
Pattern 4: Dar a entender — "To imply" / "To give to understand"
A fixed chunk for indirect communication — saying that someone implied or suggested something without stating it outright. Common in both formal and informal registers.
- Me dio a entender que no estaba interesado. — He implied he wasn't interested.
- ¿Qué quieres dar a entender con eso? — What are you implying by that?
- Sus palabras daban a entender que algo había pasado. — Her words implied that something had happened.
Chunk to learn:
Dar a entender (que + [clause]) — to imply
Pattern 5: Dar con — "To find" / "To come across"
Dar con means to find or come across something — often after searching. It's the natural verb for stumbling onto a solution, a person, or an answer, and one learners consistently miss.
- Al final di con la solución. — I finally found the solution.
- No logro dar con él. — I can't get hold of him / track him down.
- Dimos con un restaurante increíble. — We came across an incredible restaurant.
Chunk to learn:
Dar con + [person / thing / solution] — to find / come across
Pattern 6: Dar por hecho — "To take for granted" / "To assume"
A fixed chunk for expressing unwarranted assumptions — taking something as done or settled when it isn't. Common in both everyday conversation and more formal discussions.
- No des por hecho que vendrá. — Don't assume he'll come.
- Lo di por hecho y me equivoqué. — I took it for granted and I was wrong.
- Dieron por hecho que aceptaríamos. — They assumed we would accept.
Chunk to learn:
Dar por hecho (que + [clause]) — to take for granted / assume
One Verb, Many Lives
Dar is a perfect example of why the chunk approach pays off: the literal meaning (to give) barely predicts any of these expressions. You can't translate your way to me da igual, dar con, or dar por hecho — you learn them as wholes or you don't have them at all.
Start with me da igual and me da miedo — both are immediately usable and will come up in your next Spanish conversation.
This post is part of the Spanish Chunk Series — a growing collection of chunk patterns for natural Spanish.