The preterite of darse is used to express when someone realized something at a specific moment in the past. For example, when you want to say “I suddenly realized my mistake” – “Me di cuenta de mi error de repente.”
This is an irregular reflexive verb in the preterite tense. It follows the irregular pattern of dar but requires the appropriate reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) before each form.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Darse (to occur/realize) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | me di |
| Tú | te diste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | se dio |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | nos dimos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | os disteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | se dieron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Darse (to occur/realize) in the Preterite (Past) Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Darse in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of darse expresses moments of realization or occurrence.
To realize/notice: Used for sudden awareness or understanding, for example Me di cuenta de mi error (I realized my mistake), or Se dio cuenta de la verdad (He realized the truth).
To happen/occur: Describes when something took place, for example Se dio el caso de que nadie vino (It happened that nobody came).
Examples
Examples of Darse in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Me di cuenta de mi error. (I realized my mistake.)
Se dio por vencido muy pronto. (He gave up too soon.)
Nos dimos un abrazo de despedida. (We gave each other a goodbye hug.)
Te diste la vuelta y te fuiste. (You turned around and left.)
Se dieron la mano al conocerse. (They shook hands when they met.)
Me di prisa para llegar a tiempo. (I hurried to arrive on time.)
Se dio cuenta de la verdad. (He/she realized the truth.)
Nos dimos cuenta del problema. (We noticed the problem.)
¿Te diste cuenta de lo tarde que es? (Did you realize how late it is?)
Se dieron un beso en la mejilla. (They gave each other a kiss on the cheek.)
Me di el gusto de comprar el carro. (I treated myself to buying the car.)
Se dio la oportunidad de viajar. (He/she gave himself/herself the chance to travel.)
Nos dimos tiempo para descansar. (We gave ourselves time to rest.)
Te diste el lujo de renunciar. (You gave yourself the luxury of quitting.)
Se dieron cuenta al mismo tiempo. (They realized at the same time.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Darse (to occur/realize) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo me di | I realized |
| Tú te diste | You realized |
| Él / Ella / Usted se dio | He / She / You (formal) realized |
| Nosotros / Nosotras nos dimos | We realized |
| Vosotros / Vosotras os disteis | You all realized |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes se dieron | They / You all (formal) realized |
This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American 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.