....for an English speaker, "given" is "taken?"

Question

For our newer members, keep in mind if you have a question that arises from another members post, create a new thread with your question, thought, or idea. This way your question doesn't get lost. Also, this is a good way for members to get to know you and for you to get to know them. And of course the more participation on the site the more fun it is. If anything seems to be overwhelming just pick out one concept and learn as much as you can.

The following came from one of my threads. ...."han estado" vs "fueron".... (He asks this near the bottom of his answer)

Nevertheless, I'm intrigued by what paula_vlc suggests: "He dado mis lecciones en este corral redondo y pequeño". (I have given my lessons...etc.?) Is this one of those idiomatic things where, for an English speaker, "given" is "taken?"

I found this in our SD dictionary under "dar"

eso lo doy por hecho -> I take that for granted
le ha dado por la gimnasia -> she's taken it into her head to start gymnastics
darse a la bebida -> to take to drink
dársela a alguien -> to take somebody in

So from the uses above I don't think it's really an idiom
(A group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (e.g., raining cats and cats)

If it's not an idiom, I'm not sure what this usage of "dar" would be called? Any ideas or thoughts?

Sorry the link to "an idom" has that percent20 in it so the link doesn't work in our system. If any member has a way around this, please feel free to "fix it"! - bandit51jd, Jul 24, 2012

Sorry bandit, tried to fix it but it didn't work. - Eddy, Jul 24, 2012

I was trying to post a picture on another thread and it wasn´t working either. Maybe it´s a system problem? Gracias por probar! - bandit51jd, Jul 24, 2012

done :) - Kiwi-Girl, Jul 24, 2012

Wow, you used something called tinyurl.com/cbdrcrr to do that? That's really neat for long, long url addresses. Muchas gracias! - bandit51jd, Jul 24, 2012

de nada :) - yeah it's a handy trick ;) tinyurl.com - Kiwi-Girl, Jul 24, 2012

Answer 1

Did I messed up your knowledges? I'm so sorry!

In that case the mean of "he dado" is "have been in", because the word we are talking about (lecciones) can't "estar".

This verb is very used in the topics about the knowledge, -"He dado latín, griego y geografía" -"I studied latin, greek and geography".

• "Sabías que el muro de Berlin cayó en 1989? Sí, lo dí en historia". -"Did you know the Berlin wall came down in 1989? Yes, I studied it in history"

Actually the closest meaning of "dar" is "I have done that subject or unit"

I hope this help you

Muchas gracias, Paula. - annierats, Jul 24, 2012

We often use this idiomatic usage as, "I have given/gave it (a try, study, spin,etc):) - viejito, Jul 24, 2012

You didn't mess up any knowledge, but rather a different perspective.:) - viejito, Jul 24, 2012

I mean...you added a different perspective. - viejito, Jul 24, 2012

Yes, viejito, this is exactly what I mean by "create a new thread with your question, thought, or idea.". - bandit51jd, Jul 24, 2012

Paula you have not messed up my knowledge but rather you have added to the knowledge of the forum, you have given us a wonderful reminder that the Spanish "dar" means more than the English "to give". - bandit51jd, Jul 24, 2012

....and you've provided great examples, too - bandit51jd, Jul 24, 2012

Just a comment : It is very rare to use 2 simple past tense verbs ("did" and "messed") in the same sentence.- Did I mess up .... is correct. - ian-hill, Jul 26, 2012

Knowledge is always singular :) - ian-hill, Jul 26, 2012

Answer 2

I think it's just a case of one verb 'dar' being super flexible having many applications / nuances.

This happens in English, 'to give' can be used in many ways too - we say such things as 'he was given up for dead' to mean 'he was thought to be dead'; to give a groan, meaning to emit, his comment gave offence, to mean 'it was the source of', the doors give on to the garden, meaning 'they open on to' and many, many more (smiley)

But back to the Spanish 'dar' - This from RAE

(PS I've started to translate some of the meanings below if anyone has trouble reading the meanings but I'm afraid I don't have the time to do them all, but as you can see the meanings of dar are many and varied.)

1. tr. donar.

2. tr. entregar.

3. tr. Ofrecer materia para algo. Dar tema para una composición

4. tr. Conferir, proveer en alguien un empleo u oficio. Le dieron el oficio de canciller

5. tr. Ordenar, aplicar. Dar remedio, consuelo, un consejo

6. tr. Conceder, otorgar. Dar licencia

7. tr. Convenir en una proposición.

8. tr. Suponer, declarar, considerar. Lo doy POR visto, POR inocente. U. t. c. prnl. Se dio POR perdido, POR muerto

9. tr. Dicho de la tierra o de una planta: producir (? rendir fruto). La higuera da brevas e higos. U. t. c. prnl. Aquí se dan bien las patatas

10. tr. producir (? rentar un interés). Un olivar da buena renta

11. tr. producir (? procurar, ocasionar).

12. tr. Exhibir un espectáculo o una película.

13. tr. Dicho de una persona: Sujetar, someter algo a la obediencia de otra.

14. tr. Impartir una lección, pronunciar una conferencia o charla.

15. tr. Recibir una clase. Ayer dimos clase de matemáticas

16. tr. Dicho de un alumno: Recitar la lección.

17. tr. En el juego de naipes, repartir las cartas a los jugadores.

18. tr. Untar o bañar algo. Dar de barniz una puerta

19. tr. Soltar algo, desprenderse de ello. Dar el hueso Dar el ombligo

20. tr. Comunicar, hacer saber la enhorabuena, el pésame, etc.

21. tr. Hacer, practicar, ejecutar una acción. Dar un abrazo, dar saltos, dar barreno

22. tr. Hacer sufrir un golpe o daño. Dar un bofetón, un tiro. U. t. c. intr. Dar DE bofetones, DE palos

23. tr. Causar, ocasionar, mover. Dar gusto, gana

24. tr. Accionar el mecanismo que hace fluir el gas, la electricidad, etc. Dar el agua, la luz

25. tr. Dicho de un reloj: Hacer sonar sucesivamente las campanadas correspondientes a la hora que sea. El reloj dio las cinco. U. t. c. intr. Acaba de dar el reloj Han dado las cinco

26. tr. U. con diferentes partículas para expresar el modo en que se transfiere el dominio. Dar de balde

27. tr. Dicho de una persona: Echar a perder la tranquilidad, la diversión o el descanso de otra. Me has dado el día, la comida

28. tr. Declarar, descubrir. Dar conocimiento Dar el texto

29. tr. Dicho de una o de varias personas: Obsequiar con un baile, un banquete, etc. a otras.

30. tr. Presagiar, anunciar. Me da el corazón que fulano sanará

31. intr. Ser indiferente. Da igual Tanto da

32. intr. Empeñarse en ejecutar algo. Dio EN este tema, EN esta locura, EN esta manía

33. intr. Dicho de una enfermedad, pasión súbita del ánimo, etc.: Sobrevenir y empezar a sentirla física o moralmente. Dar un síncope, un dolor, frío A mí me va a dar algo ¿Qué te ha dado?

34. intr. Encontrar a alguien o algo. Dar CON Isabel, CON el escondrijo

35. intr. Acometer a alguien con furia. Dieron SOBRE el enemigo

36. intr. Chocar, golpear contra algo. U. t. c. prnl. ¿Dónde te has dado? Aquellos dos se daban con furia

37. intr. Acertar, atinar. Dar EN el punto, EN el hito, EN el chiste

38. intr. Caer de un modo determinado. Dar DE cogote, DE espaldas, DE costillas

39. intr. Servir o costear a alguien el almuerzo, la comida, etc. Dar DE comer, DE cenar

40. intr. Dicho de una cosa: Estar situada, mirar, hacia esta o la otra parte. La puerta da a la calle La ventana da al norte

41. intr. Caer, incurrir. Dar en un error

42. intr. Dicho del sol, del aire, etc.: Incidir sobre alguna superficie.

43. intr. Ser suficiente para algo. Su paciencia no dio para más

44. intr. Causar buen o mal efecto en determinado medio o situación. Da BIEN en televisión Da MAL en la radio

45. intr. Ir, o hacer ir, a parar, o caer, o hacer caer, algo o a alguien en alguna parte. Di CON él EN tierra Dieron CON don Quijote EN la cama

46. intr. coloq. Accionar cualquier mecanismo u objeto. Darle Al martillo

47. intr. coloq. Perseguir a alguien, acosarle con furia o gritería. Daban TRAS ellos

48. prnl. Entregarse, ceder en la resistencia que se hacía. No hay miedo de que se dé ese a quien van a prender Ya se ha dado el que disputaba

49. prnl. Dicho de una cosa: Suceder, existir, determinar. Se da el caso En circunstancias dadas

50. prnl. Entregarse con ahínco o por vicio a algo, o ejecutar una acción viva o reiteradamente. Darse Al estudio, Al vino Darse A estudiar, A beber

51. prnl. Ejecutar determinadas acciones mentales. Darse a creer, a imaginar

52. prnl. Cineg. Dicho de las aves que van volando, o de la caza: Pararse de cansadas, o caer en algún sitio o lugar.

53. prnl. Méx. darse por vencido (? ceder del propio dictamen). ¶

To give. (From the lat. dare).

1 tr. donate.

2 tr. deliver.

3 tr. Offer material for something. Eg. a theme for an assignment

4 tr. Confer, providing someone a job or occupation. He was given the Office of Chancellor

5 tr. Sort, apply. Give remedy, counsel

6 tr. Grant, eg. License

7 tr. Agree to a proposition.

8 tr. Suppose, declare, consider. Eg. It was deemed lost, Given up for dead

9 tr. Said of the Earth or a plant: produce (? yield fruit). The fig tree gives figs. Here you get (are given) good pototoes.

10 tr. produce (? rent an interest). An olive grove gives good income

11 tr. result (result, ? seek).

12 tr. Exhibiting a show or a movie.

13 tr. Said of a person: to subdue

14 tr. To give a lesson, give a lecture or talk.

15 tr. Receive a class. Yesterday we took a math class

16 tr. Said of a student: to recite the lesson.

17 tr. In a card game, to deal

18 tr. To spread or bathe something. Eg. to varnish a door

19 tr. Release something, get rid of it.

20 tr. To communicate, make known congratulations, condolences, etc.

21 tr. Do, practice, perform an action.Eg. Give a hug, jump.

22 tr. Do strike a blow or injury. Give a slap, a kick.

23 tr. Cause, bring about.

24 tr. To activate a mechanism that makes gas, electricity, etc flow.

25 tr. Said of a clock - Eg. to 'strike' three.

etc ...

Oh, my Kiwi, I've been working with llevar and traer, now I'm going to have to schedule time for "dar"! lol Great list! Muchas gracias! - bandit51jd, Jul 25, 2012

Answer 3

@ Paulavic: In English you can mess up ideas, or thinking but you can't mess up knowledge. Somehow knowledge is stable. You can, however, mess up the learning proces! Easily..

You had better start another thread, a very interesting difference in use is appearing. I haven't got time today.

Muy bienvenida al foro.

haha ok i wasn't sure but i said it haha. Gracias. - paula_vlc, Jul 24, 2012

Good comment...:) - viejito, Jul 24, 2012

Really, Paula, it's very interesting. I'm driving a tractor all day and I'm just a bit slow today, please take it up for discussion. - annierats, Jul 24, 2012