In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore one of the most versatile and commonly used Italian verbs – dare (to give). You’ll learn key grammar rules of this irregular verb, its conjugation (beginner and full verb conjugation), example sentences, common Italian expressions, and more. Follow along as we break down every aspect of dare so you can start using it confidently in conversation and writing.
Table of Contents
Italian Verb Dare Grammar
Dare is an irregular verb. It’s one of the few verbs ending in are that don’t follow this first conjugation model (link). We’ll look at its conjugation later on in this article.
Italian Dare Meaning
Dare means to give in Italian.
To Give In Italian Pronunciation
To help you learn how to pronounce dare correctly I have included the table below. You can look at the English pronunciation to help you pronounce it like an Italian would.
| Verb | Italian Spelling | Pronunciation For English Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| Dare | da-re | dah-reh |
While you do, I also suggest you listen to me say dare. I will also be pronouncing the present tense conjugation.
Similar Verbs to Dare
Dare can often replace and be replaced by these verbs:
Donare – to gift
Regalare – to gift
Prestare – to lend
Passare – to pass
Porgere – to hand
Auxiliary With Dare
Dare is a transitive verb, meaning that it can answer the question chi, che cosa? (who, what). Verbs that do that take the auxiliary avere.
Here’s the rule:
Auxiliary Verb Rule
If the verb is transitive or can answer the question what? then you need to use avere as the auxiliary.
When a verb can’t answer those questions, it’s called intransitive, and it takes the auxiliary essere. Reflexive verbs always take the auxiliary essere in Italian. Read about them here.
Examples:
Federico mi ha dato da pensare.
(Federico has made me thinking.)
La mamma ha dato una torta al vicino.
(Mum has given the neighbor a cake.)
Il tempo ci ha dato problemi.
(The weather has given us problems.)
Ha dato is formed with the auxiliary avere + the past participle of the verb dare.
Dare Italian Conjugation For Beginners
Present Tense (Presente)
io do
tu dai
lui dà
noi diamo
voi date
loro danno
Translation: I do (or make), you do (or make), he/she/it does (or make), we do (or make), you do (or make), they do (or make).
Past Tense (Imperfetto)
io davo
tu davi
lui dava
noi davamo
voi davate
loro davano
Translation: I gave, you gave, he did (or made), we gave, you gave, they gave.
Past Tense (Passato Prossimo)
io ho dato
tu hai dato
lui ha dato
noi abbiamo dato
voi avete dato
loro hanno dato
Translation: I have given, you have given she has given we have given, you have given, they have given.
Future (Futuro Semplice)
io darò
tu darai
lui darà
noi daremo
voi darete
loro daranno
Translation: I will give, you will give, it will feel give, we will feel give, you will give, they will give.
Past Participle (Participio Passato)
Dato (given)
Infinitive (Infinito Presente)
Dare (to give)
Italian Dare Uses
Here are the most common uses of the verb dare in the Italian language.
- To give someone something/someone
Example: Francesca mi dato il documento.
(Francesca has given me the document.)
- To entrust someone with something/someone
Example: Ho dato il bimbo ai nonni.
(I gave the child to the grandparents.)
- To prescribe or administer a medicine
Examples: La dottoressa ha dato l’antibiotico al bimbo.
(The doctor has given the kid an antibiotic.)
- To give permission (allow) or give a punishment (punish)
Examples:
Le ho dato il permesso di uscire stasera.
(I have given her permission to go out tonight.)
Gli ho dato già una punizione.
(I have already given him a punishment).
- To cause someone something
Example: Mi hai dato un dispiacere.
(You have given me trouble/ You made me sad).
- To use honorifics to refer to someone
Mi raccomando di darle del lei.
(Make sure to address her formally.)
- To communicate news to someone
Example: Mi hanno dato una bella notizia.
(They gave me good news.)
- To apply something
Examples: Marco deve dare la cera al parquet.
(Marco has to apply varnish on the parquet.)
Italian Dare Examples
Let’s practice some more. Below are very realistic examples of how Italians use the verb dare in everyday language.
Mi dai le chiavi? (Can you give me the keys?)
Hai dato il latte al bimbo? (Did you give the milk to the kid?)
Cosa ti ha dato la nonna? (What has grandma given you?)
Che cosa ti ha dato il dottore? (What did the doctor give you?)
Cosa ti ha dato alla testa? (What has gone through your head?)
Mi darebbe un caffè? (Could you give me a coffee?)
Dai, dammi del tu. (Come on, drop the honorifics.)
Non dimenticarti di dare il regalo a Marco. (Don’t forget to give the gift to Marco.)
Non dare il cioccolato al cane. (Don’t give the dog chocolate.)
Dai dell’acqua alle piante, per favore. (Give the plants some water, please.)
Le ho già dato quanto richiesto. (I have already given her what was requested.)
La macchina mi sta dando problemi. (The car has been giving me issues.)
Sayings With Italian Verb Dare
To give in Italian is used to form many idioms and expressions. Let’s see the most common ones.
Dare fastidio – to irritate
Dare sui nervi – to get on someone’s nerves
Dare una mano – to help someone
Dare retta – to listen to someone, follow his advice
Dare spazio – to give someone space
Dare corda – to give rope
Dare credito – to give credit
Dare voce – to give voice
Dare tregua – to give a break
Dare i numeri – to go crazy
Darsi da fare – to get busy
Dare per scontato – to take for granted
Dare per vinta – to give up
Dare dentro – to give in
Dare da pensare – to worry someone
Dare a intendere – to let someone know/understand
Dare in omaggio – to offer something as a gift
Dare nell’occhio – to attract the attention
Darsi a qualcosa – to dedicate oneself to something
Darsela a gambe levate – to run away, to escape
Dare per – to take someone for
Let’s use the above expressions in realistic examples.
- Smettila di darmi fastidio.
Stop bothering me - Sai che mi dai sui nervi.
You know you get on my nerves. - Mi dai una mano?
Can you give me a hand? - Dai retta ai tuoi genitori.
Listen to your parents. - Dalle spazio e vedi cosa succede.
Give her/him space and see what happens. - Non dargli corda, altrimenti se ne approfitta.
Don’t encourage him/her, otherwise he/she takes advantage. - Dammi tregua, per favore.
Give me a break, please. - Ma stai dando i numeri?
Are you going crazy? - Non mi dare più per scontata.
Don’t take me for granted anymore. - Non dargliela vinta.
Don’t let him/her win. - Dai, dacci dentro.
Come on, give it your all. - Quel gesto mi ha dato da pensare.
That gesture made me think. - Dalle da intendere che non ti piace.
Let her/him understand that you don’t like it. - Al supermercato mi hanno dato in omaggio una bottiglia di vino.
At the supermarket, they gave me a bottle of wine as a gift. - Quel vestito da troppo nell’occhio.
That dress is too flashy. - Quest’anno mi sono data al giardinaggio.
This year I’ve taken up gardening. - Se succede qualcosa, dattela a gambe levate.
If something happens, run away as fast as you can. - Non mi dare per pazza.
Don’t think I am crazy.
Dai Verb Vs Dai Interjection
Take a moment to look at the sentence below.
Dai, dai il biberon al bimbo.
You can see I am using dai twice, but each of them means something different. Let’s translate it, so you can understand it better.
Come on, give the baby the bottle.
The first dai means come on, while the second is the second person of the verb dare conjugated in the present tense.
An easy way to spot the difference is that dai (come on) is almost always followed by a comma, while dai (the verb) is always followed by a noun.
Dai can also be the imperative of the verb dare, when used to order someone to give something.
Let’s see a few examples:
Dai, smettila.
Dai che lo sapevi.
Dai le chiavi al posteggiatore.
Dai, che noia.
Dai che è tardi.
Dai, forza e coraggio.
Con quel vestito, dai un pò nell’occhio.
Before I give you the translation, try to guess which dai means come on and which one is a verb.
Remember, the verb dare is always followed by a noun.
Let’s check:
1. Come on – because it’s followed by a coma and there’s no noun.
2. Come on – because it’s followed by a conjunction, not a noun.
3. Verb – because it’s followed by a noun (le chiavi).
4. Come on
5. Come on
6. Come on
7. Verb – because pò, which is short for poco, is acting as the noun.
Here is the translation.
Come on, stop it.
Come on, you knew it.
Give the keys to the parking attendant.
Come on, how boring.
Come on, it’s late.
Come on, strength and courage.
With that dress, you stand out a bit.
Dare Full Conjugation Chart
Quick Verb Dare Test
Test your knowledge of dare with these fill-in the blank exercises.
1. Io ______ il regalo a Maria per il suo compleanno. (I gave the gift to Maria for her birthday.)
2. I medici ______ una cura speciale al paziente. (The doctors administered a special treatment to the patient.)
3. Mia madre mi ______ il permesso di uscire stasera. (My mom gave me permission to go out tonight.)
4. Quella notizia mi ______ molto da pensare. (That news gave me a lot to think about.)
5. ______ una mano a tuo fratello con i compiti? (Can you give your brother a hand with his homework?)
6. Il mio cane mi ______ molto fastidio questa mattina. (My dog bothered me a lot this morning.)
7. Domani ______ un regalo speciale a mia moglie per il nostro anniversario. (Tomorrow I will give a special gift to my wife for our anniversary.)
{Answers: dò, hanno dato, ha dato, ha dato, Puoi dare, ha dato, darò}
Final Thoughts
As you can see, dare is an extremely useful irregular Italian verb that is used in a variety of everyday contexts. Mastering its conjugation and application will allow you to give and receive things, make requests, provide permissions, communicate news, express causes/consequences, and more in Italian.
If you haven’t already, check out these other verb lessons:
Stare Lesson
Andare Lesson
Fare Lesson
Italian Are Verbs
Dare FAQ
What is the Italian word for give?
The Italian word for give is “dare”.
Is dare an irregular verb in Italian?
Yes, dare is an irregular verb in Italian.
How do you use dare as a verb in a sentence?
You can use dare in a sentence like “Mi dai il libro?” (Can you give me the book?) or “Ho dato un regalo a Maria” (I gave a gift to Maria).
How do you use dare in Italian?
Dare is used to express giving something to someone, allowing something, administering something, communicating news, and more.
What is the past tense of dare?
The past tense of dare is “ha dato” (passato prossimo) using the auxiliary verb avere or davo (imperfect). For example, “Mi ha dato un libro” (He/She gave me a book).
What is the conjugation of dare?
The full conjugation chart for dare is provided in the article. It is an irregular verb.
What’s the command verb of dare in Italian?
The command form is “dai” or “date” depending on who you are addressing. For example, “Dai il libro a Maria!” (Give the book to Maria!)
What’s the subjunctive of dare in Italian?
The subjunctive forms of dare are: che io dia, che tu dia, che lui/lei dia, che noi diamo, che voi diate, che loro diano.
What’s a common Italian phrase with verb dare?
Some common phrases are: “dare una mano” (to give a hand/help), “dare fastidio” (to bother), and “dare retta” (to listen to).
