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Conjugation Chart of “Dar” (to give) in the Preterite (Past) Tense
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | di |
| Tú | diste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | dio |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | dimos |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | dieron |
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Understanding the Preterite (Past) Tense of “Dar”
The preterite of dar is used to express a completed action of giving in the past. For example, you might say “I gave her the book last week,” indicating a specific moment when the giving occurred.
This is an irregular verb in the preterite tense. Despite being a short verb, it has unique conjugations that don’t follow the regular patterns, making it important to learn its forms separately.
How to Use Dar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The preterite of dar expresses a completed action of giving in the past.
To give: Describes the act of giving something, for example Le di un regalo (I gave him/her a gift) or Me dio las gracias (He/she gave me thanks).
To deliver/provide: Used for providing services or information, for example El profesor dio una clase excelente (The teacher gave an excellent class).
To result in: Indicates an outcome, for example No dio resultado (It didn’t work out/give results).
Real Life Examples of Dar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Le di un regalo de cumpleaños. (I gave him/her a birthday present.)
¿Me diste la dirección correcta? (Did you give me the correct address?)
El profesor dio una clase excelente. (The teacher gave an excellent class.)
Les dimos la bienvenida a los nuevos vecinos. (We gave welcome to the new neighbors.)
Los estudiantes dieron una presentación. (The students gave a presentation.)
¿Por qué me diste esta noticia tan tarde? (Why did you give me this news so late?)
Mi jefe me dio un aumento. (My boss gave me a raise.)
Le di las gracias por su ayuda. (I gave thanks to him/her for their help.)
Dimos una fiesta sorpresa. (We gave a surprise party.)
Los artistas dieron un concierto inolvidable. (The artists gave an unforgettable concert.)
Me dio un consejo muy útil. (He/she gave me very useful advice.)
¿Le diste mi mensaje? (Did you give him/her my message?)
Les dimos nuestro apoyo en momentos difíciles. (We gave them our support in difficult times.)
El chef dio una clase de cocina. (The chef gave a cooking class.)
Le di mi palabra de honor. (I gave my word of honor.)
Conjugation Chart with English Translations
Conjugations of Dar (to give) in the Preterite (Past) Tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo di | I gave |
| Tú diste | You gave |
| Él / Ella / Usted dio | He / She / You gave |
| Nosotros / Nosotras dimos | We gave |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes dieron | They / You all gave |
This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here
Synonyms
The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.