How to Say “I Give You” in Spanish: A Complete Guide

Learning basic Spanish phrases like “I give you” can be incredibly useful for beginners. Being able to express giving and receiving in Spanish allows you to have simple conversations and transactions during your interactions with native speakers. In this comprehensive guide we will look at everything you need to know about how to say “I give you” in Spanish.

The Main Spanish Phrases for “I Give You”

The most common Spanish phrase for “I give you” is “te doy” when speaking informally. This uses the informal “tú” pronoun for “you”.

Here is how to conjugate the phrase “I give you” in Spanish using the verb “dar” (to give)

• Yo te doy – I give you (informal)
• Yo le doy – I give you (formal)

The main verbs are “dar” (to give) and “doy” (I give). The pronoun (“te” or “le”) changes based on whether you are speaking informally or formally.

Conjugating the Verb “Dar” (To Give)

In Spanish, verbs need to be conjugated to match the subject pronoun. Here is the full conjugation of “dar” in the present tense:

• Yo doy – I give
• Tú das – You (informal) give
• Él/Ella da – He/She gives
• Nosotros damos – We give
• Vosotros dais – You all give (Spain)
• Ustedes dan – You all give (Latin America)
• Ellos/Ellas dan – They give

As you can see, “doy” is the first person singular conjugation (I give). This is combined with “te” or “le” to say “I give you” in Spanish.

When to Use “Tú” vs. “Usted”

Should you say “te doy” or “le doy” for “I give you” in Spanish? It depends on whether you are speaking informally or formally:

• Use “te doy” when:

  • Speaking to a friend, family member, or child
  • Speaking to a coworker at work
  • Speaking to someone young

• Use “le doy” when:

  • Meeting someone for the first time
  • Speaking to an elder, supervisor or authority figure
  • Wanting to be extra polite and formal

As a rule, use “tú” with people you know well and “usted” with people you don’t know well or want to show respect to.

Example Sentences and Conversations

Here are some examples of using “te doy” and “le doy” in sentences and conversations:

• Te doy mi número telefónico. – I’ll give you my phone number.
• Le doy las gracias por su ayuda. – I give you thanks for your help.
• Camarero: ¿Qué le gustaría para beber? – Waiter: What would you like to drink?
• Cliente: Le doy un refresco, por favor. – Customer: I’ll have a soft drink, please.
• Amigo: No tengo dinero para el almuerzo. – Friend: I don’t have money for lunch.
• Yo: No te preocupes, yo te doy algo de dinero. – Me: Don’t worry, I’ll give you some money.

Practice creating your own example conversations using these phrases.

Other Useful Spanish Giving Expressions

Here are some additional useful Spanish phrases related to giving and receiving:

• ¿Me das…? – Will you give me…?
• Te regalo este libro. – I’m giving you this book as a gift.
• Se lo mando por correo. – I’m sending it to you by mail.
• Me han dado una oferta de trabajo. – They have given me a job offer.
• Ella nos dio comida gratis. – She gave us free food.

Discussing giving and being given things is key in Spanish for shopping, ordering, and more. Get comfortable with conjugating “dar” and using “te” vs “le”.