Dare (To Give) in Italian

Overview

The verb dare (to give) is one of the first irregular verbs you will encounter at the A1 level in Italian. Although it belongs to the -ARE verb family, it does not follow the regular conjugation pattern. Its forms are short and distinctive — some are only two letters long — which makes them easy to recognize but also easy to confuse with other words.

Beyond its literal meaning of giving or handing something to someone, dare appears in a wide range of everyday expressions. Italians use it to talk about taking exams, bothering people, and choosing how to address someone formally or informally. Learning dare early will unlock many common phrases you will hear in daily life.

Because dare is based on the -ARE conjugation family, you should already be comfortable with regular -ARE verb endings before tackling this verb. The irregularities are limited to the present tense, so once you memorize these six forms, you will be well prepared.

How It Works

Present Tense Conjugation

Person	Italian	English
io	do	I give
tu	dai	you give
lui / lei / Lei	dà	he / she gives, you give (formal)
noi	diamo	we give
voi	date	you all give
loro	danno	they give

Notice that dà (third person singular) carries an accent to distinguish it from the preposition da (from/by). The forms do, dai, and dà are noticeably shorter than what you would expect from a regular -ARE verb.

Common Expressions with "Dare"

Expression	Meaning	Example
dare un esame	to take an exam	Domani do un esame. (Tomorrow I take an exam.)
dare fastidio	to bother / annoy	Il rumore mi dà fastidio. (The noise bothers me.)
dare del tu	to address informally	Mi dai del tu? (Will you use "tu" with me?)
dare del Lei	to address formally	Le diamo del Lei. (We address her formally.)
dare una mano	to give a hand / help	Mi dai una mano? (Can you give me a hand?)
dare un'occhiata	to take a look	Do un'occhiata al menu. (I take a look at the menu.)
dare la colpa	to blame	Danno la colpa a me. (They blame me.)
dare retta	to listen to / heed	Da' retta a tua madre! (Listen to your mother!)

Examples in Context

Italian	English	Note
Ti do il libro.	I give you the book.	Basic giving
Mi dai una mano?	Can you give me a hand?	Requesting help
Dà un esame domani.	He/She takes an exam tomorrow.	Idiomatic: dare un esame
Le diamo del Lei.	We address her formally.	Formal address
Danno una festa sabato.	They are throwing a party on Saturday.	Dare una festa = throw a party
Non date fastidio ai vicini.	Don't bother the neighbors.	Dare fastidio = to annoy
Do un'occhiata al giornale.	I take a look at the newspaper.	Dare un'occhiata = to glance
Dai la colpa a me?	Are you blaming me?	Dare la colpa = to blame
Gli do ragione.	I agree with him.	Dare ragione = to agree with
Mi dà sui nervi.	It gets on my nerves.	Dare sui nervi = to annoy
Vi diamo il benvenuto.	We welcome you.	Dare il benvenuto = to welcome
Non mi danno retta.	They don't listen to me.	Dare retta = to heed

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the accent on "dà"

• Wrong: Lui da il libro a Maria.
• Right: Lui dà il libro a Maria.
• Why: Without the accent, "da" is a preposition meaning "from" or "by." The accent on dà is mandatory to mark the verb form.

Using regular -ARE endings

• Wrong: Io daro, tu dari, lui dara.
• Right: Io do, tu dai, lui dà.
• Why: Dare is irregular. The present tense forms do not follow the standard -ARE pattern (-o, -i, -a). You must memorize the irregular forms.

Confusing "dare un esame" with "prendere un esame"

• Wrong: Prendo un esame domani.
• Right: Do un esame domani.
• Why: In Italian, you "give" an exam (dare un esame), not "take" it. This is the opposite of English and catches many learners off guard.

Mixing up "dare del tu" and "dare del Lei"

• Wrong: Gli do del tu. (to your boss)
• Right: Gli do del Lei.
• Why: Using "dare del tu" with someone you should address formally is considered rude. Pay attention to the social context — use "dare del Lei" with strangers, elders, and in professional settings.

Forgetting the indirect object pronoun

• Wrong: Do il libro. (when the recipient matters)
• Right: Ti do il libro. / Le do il libro.
• Why: Dare usually requires specifying who receives something. Use indirect object pronouns (mi, ti, gli, le, ci, vi, gli) to indicate the recipient.

Practice Tips

1. Expression flashcards: Write each expression from the table on a card — dare un esame, dare fastidio, dare una mano, etc. Practice using each one in a sentence with every person (io, tu, lui...). This builds both conjugation fluency and vocabulary.

2. Daily giving sentences: Each day, describe three things you give, lend, or hand to someone. "Do un consiglio a un amico," "Dai il telefono a tua sorella," "Diamo il benvenuto ai nuovi studenti." This makes dare feel natural in context.

3. Accent awareness drill: Write five sentences mixing "da" (preposition) and "dà" (verb). Read them aloud and check that the accent is in the right place. This helps avoid one of the most common writing errors.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Regular -ARE Verbs — learn the standard conjugation pattern before tackling dare's irregularities
• Related: Essere (to be) — another essential irregular verb at the A1 level
• Related: Avere (to have) — the other foundational irregular verb, also used in many idiomatic expressions
• Related: Fare (to do/make) — another short irregular -ARE verb with many expressions