Me da (algo)?

Question

Hello my friends!! I wish you all are having great times!

I have heard the composition of : me da (thing) or no me da (thing), for example, no me da cuenta, or me da vergüenza etc. I just wanted to know if there is a certain rule to this composition, I know that in English we also use something similar , like when we say sometimes when we are mad: I don't give a dam* about this, is it used similarly?

Thank you a lot for your times!

Answer 1

In addition to Annie´s answer: darse cuenta is reflexive usage, but not me da vergüenza, me da igual, etc. This is something causing you shame / something being the same for you.

Thanks for your note Julian!! - marksteve, Nov 15, 2015

I wonder if "darse cuenta" started off like "me da miedo", and overtime became reflexive - HackerKing, Nov 16, 2015

HackerKing, no, that is not correct. - chileno, Nov 16, 2015

I agree with Chileno, darse cuenta has nothing to do with 'miedo'. - annierats, Nov 16, 2015

No I mean that "darse cuenta" started off as non-reflective and overtime become reflexive. So eventually "me da cuenta" became "me doy cuenta" - HackerKing, Nov 20, 2015

Answer 2

With phrases like "Me da miedo", you're pretty much saying "It gives me fright". Grammatically, the sentence works exactly like the English sentence "It gives me fright", even if idiomatically it translates as "It's scares me".

Thanks Hacker for your help!! - marksteve, Nov 16, 2015

It gives me the shivers. - annierats, Nov 16, 2015

Answer 3

Darse cuenta--to discover/to notice
dar apuro/ dar vergüenza -- to feel shame or embarrassement Me di cuenta de que mi marido ha tenido un amante desde hace 14 años pero esto no le da apuro. ( I discovered that my husband has had a mistress for 14 years, but he is not ashamed).

I don't give a damn- No me importa.

Thank you annierats for your explaination! - marksteve, Nov 15, 2015