Dar Conjugation: Free Spanish Lesson, Exercises, and PDF

What would you give to become fluent in Spanish? Dar is a common verb in Spanish; however, its conjugations can be a challenge sometimes. But don’t worry, here at Homeschool Spanish Academy we have your back! 

This post is all about dar and its conjugations, from the meaning of this irregular verb and its verbals to the indicative, subjunctive, and imperative conjugations in all their tenses. 

Without further ado, here I give you the ultimate guide to dar conjugation!

The Spanish Verb Dar

The Spanish verb dar is usually translated as “to give.” It’s a derivation of the Latin word dare, which in turn comes from the Indo-European root, do. Dar is one of the most common verbs in Spanish and, as such, it can be used in many different contexts. 

Most times, you can use dar in the exact same context as you use “to give” in English. For example:

Te doy una manzana.
I give you an apple.

Another context is when someone “throws” a party or “holds” a concert, you could say something like:

Shakira dio un concierto en Colombia.
Shakira held a concert in Colombia.

In Spanish, you can actually dar a concert or a party. 

Finally, dar can also be translated as “produce.” For example:

Esta vaca da mucha leche.
This cow produces a lot of milk.

In Spanish, a tree can dar fruit, and a cow can dar milk. It’s important to remember not to confuse the Spanish verb dar with the reflexive verb darse, as they mean different things.  

Now that you have a better understanding of the different contexts in which this verb can be used, it’s time to focus on the dar conjugations. 

Dar: An Irregular Verb

Irregular verbs are verbs that don’t follow the same pattern of conjugation as most verbs in Spanish, and dar is one of them. For that reason, the dar conjugations follow a very peculiar pattern, one that shares with two other verbs: ir (to go) and estar (to be).

Dar Conjugation

Although both English and Spanish have three moods and several tenses, the Spanish conjugations are way more complicated than the English ones. That’s because verbs in Spanish have a variation for pretty much every subject, mood, and tense, while in English, variations are minimal. 

For instance, in the present indicative tense of dar, you have: yo doy, tú das, él/ella da, nosotros damos, ustedes dan, ellos/ellas dan. While in English all you have is: I give, you give, he/she gives, we give, you give, they give. Five variations in Spanish, only one in English. 

Studying all the accumulated dar conjugations along with all the other irregular verbs may seem like a daunting task. However, I’m here to tell you not to worry about it. At first, you do need to memorize them to be able to start using them, but with time you’ll develop a feeling for the language and conjugations will come naturally to you.

Let’s start by looking at the dar verbals and then we’ll move on to its full set of conjugations.

Dar Verbals

The three verbals are infinitive, gerund, and participle, and they exist both in English and Spanish. They are words derived from a verb that function as modifiers in sentences. However, they don’t respond to number, person, or tense, which means that verbals are never conjugated.

Dar Conjugation: Indicative Mood

Let’s start with the dar conjugations from the 5 simple tenses of the indicative mood, followed by the 5 compound tenses, which include the auxiliary verb haber (to have).

Simple Tenses

Compound Tenses

Dar Conjugation: Subjunctive Mood

The subjunctive mood in Spanish has some verb endings that can be a little bit tricky, so it’s important to get them right. Here, I’m dividing its conjugations between simple and compound tenses and including the two variations of the imperfect. 

Simple Tenses

Compound Tenses

Dar Conjugation: Imperative Mood

The imperative mood is used to give orders or commands. These commands can be affirmative or negative. However, as you cannot give an order to yourself or to a third person, those subjects are of no use in this mood. 

Dar Conjugation: Exercises

Fill in the blank using the right conjugation of dar: 

1. El viernes ________________ una fiesta en mi casa. – On Friday, I’ll throw a party at my house.

2. Ella  ________________ dinero a la caridad. – She gave money to charity. (imperfect)

3. Espero que  _______________ lo mejor de ti. – I hope you give it the best you have.

4. ¡Vamos,  _____________ tu opinión al respecto! – Come on, give your opinion about it!

5. Si no fuera por ti ________________ clases en la universidad. – If it wasn’t for you, I would have given classes at the university. 

6. Ojalá le ________________ más apoyo a mi madre. – I wish I had given more support to my mother.

7. Te ________________ mi bendición. – You have my blessing. (Literal: I give you my blessing.)

8. ¿Le _______________ tu palabra?. – Did you give him your word?

9. Si él ________________ su mejor esfuerzo, seguro ganaría. – If he were to give his best effort, he would surely win. 

10. En 2030, _____________ clases a más de mil alumnos. – In 2030, I will have given classes to over a thousand students.

Check out the answer key here!

Keep Practicing!

That wasn’t so hard, right? Remember that the key to mastering dar conjugations—and actually, every other set of conjugations in Spanish—is practice. Homeschool Spanish Academy offers the possibility of doing exactly that with native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala, in a fun and flexible way. Sign up now for a free trial lesson and keep improving your Spanish grammar and speaking skills with one of our certified Spanish teachers.

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Answer Key: 

1. daré
2. daba
3. des
4. da
5. habría dado
6. hubiera dado
7. doy
8. diste
9. diera
10. habré dado

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Luis F. Dominguez

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

Luis F. Domínguez is a freelance writer and independent journalist interested in travel, languages, art, books, history, philosophy, politics and sports. He has written for Fodor’s, Yahoo!, Sports Illustrated, Telemundo, and Villa Experience, among other brands of print and digital media in Europe and North America.

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