Dar
to give
Presente
Current actions, habits, and general truths.
| eu | dou | Eu dou aulas de inglês aos fins de semana. — I give English classes at weekends. |
| você/ele/ela | dá | Ela dá tudo de si em cada apresentação. — She gives everything she has in every performance. |
| nós | damos | Nós damos o melhor que podemos. — We give the best we can. |
| eles/elas | dão | Eles dão muito valor à família. — They place great value on family. |
Generosity has a clear address here. I give a hand when someone needs it — not because I have to, because I want to. My neighbour Dona Tereza gives food to whoever knocks on the door hungry. We give what we have without calculating what will come back. Children give hugs without ceremony — and that teaches adults a great deal.
Pret. Perfeito
Completed past actions — what happened.
| eu | dei | Eu dei um presente para ela ontem. — I gave her a present yesterday. |
| você/ele/ela | deu | Ele deu a notícia com cuidado. — He broke the news carefully. |
| nós | demos | Nós demos o nosso melhor na competição. — We gave our best in the competition. |
| eles/elas | deram | Eles deram uma festa incrível. — They threw an incredible party. |
The volunteering day was unforgettable. I gave extra tutoring to five children from the community. The coordinating teacher gave all the necessary materials without asking for anything in return. We gave four hours of our Saturday — and it was worth every minute. The residents gave water, coffee and great warmth to those who turned up to help.
Pret. Imperfeito
Ongoing or habitual past — what used to happen or was happening.
| eu | dava | Eu dava carona para os colegas todo dia. — I used to give my colleagues a lift every day. |
| você/ele/ela | dava | Ela dava conselhos sem que ninguém pedisse. — She used to give advice without anyone asking. |
| nós | dávamos | Nós dávamos festas todo mês na república. — We used to throw parties every month at the student house. |
| eles/elas | davam | Eles davam desconto para clientes antigos. — They used to give discounts to regular customers. |
My grandfather was generous in a quiet way. He used to give money to the nephew who was struggling, without telling anyone. I used to lend a hand at his shop during the summer holidays. We used to give to the town what the town gave us — a cycle that worked well. The shopkeepers used to give credit to those who needed it — trust was the real currency.
Futuro Informal
Plans and intentions — "going to." The most common future form in spoken BR Portuguese.
| eu | vou dar | Vou dar uma festa de aniversário surpresa para ela. — I'm going to throw her a surprise birthday party. |
| você/ele/ela | vai dar | Ele vai dar um jeito de resolver. — He's going to find a way to sort it out. |
| nós | vamos dar | Vamos dar um tempo para pensar. — We're going to take some time to think. |
| eles/elas | vão dar | Eles vão dar um desconto no fim do mês. — They're going to give a discount at the end of the month. |
The social project starts on Friday. I'm going to give Portuguese tutoring to teenagers from the community. My colleague Priscila is going to give maths workshops in the opposite shift. We're going to give what we know with an open heart. The volunteer teachers are going to give much more than content — they're going to give presence and attention.
Futuro Formal
Formal future — "shall/will." More common in writing than speech.
| eu | darei | Darei uma resposta formal até sexta-feira. — I will give a formal response by Friday. |
| você/ele/ela | dará | O governo dará uma coletiva de imprensa amanhã. — The government will hold a press conference tomorrow. |
| nós | daremos | Daremos continuidade ao projeto no próximo semestre. — We will continue the project next semester. |
| eles/elas | darão | Os juízes darão o veredicto na próxima semana. — The judges will give their verdict next week. |
The rector's communiqué was direct: "The university will award full scholarships to the top hundred ranked students. We will give complete support to low-income students throughout the course. The departments will give responses to requests within five working days. I will personally give a welcome to the new students at the opening ceremony."
Condicional
Hypotheticals and polite requests — "would."
| eu | daria | Eu daria tudo para resolver isso agora. — I would give anything to sort this out now. |
| você/ele/ela | daria | Ela daria a vida pelos filhos sem pensar. — She would give her life for her children without a second thought. |
| nós | daríamos | Daríamos um desconto se o pedido fosse maior. — We would give a discount if the order were larger. |
| eles/elas | dariam | Eles dariam uma chance se pedissem com educação. — They would give a chance if asked politely. |
If I could, I would give more time to the people I love. I would give genuine attention, without my phone on the table. My friend Nara would give opportunities to those who never had them — it's her dream. We would give the world if the world would accept it. People would give so much more if they knew they need nothing in return.
Dar across the tenses
A short story using dar in multiple tenses
Meu professor de história dava aulas como se cada palavra fosse a última. Dava atenção individual para cada aluno — algo raro. Os colegas davam trabalho, ele nunca reclamava.
Hoje ele está aposentado, mas ainda dá palestras voluntárias em escolas públicas. Ontem deu uma aula sobre ditadura militar que deixou a sala em silêncio absoluto. Demos uma salva de palmas que durou mais de um minuto.
No próximo semestre, vai dar um curso gratuito online para professores de todo o Brasil. "Se der, darei pelo menos duas turmas por ano enquanto tiver saúde," ele diz.
Perguntei o que o move. "Daria tudo isso mesmo sem audiência," ele respondeu. "Porque quem dá conhecimento não perde nada — só multiplica."
My history teacher used to give lessons as if every word were the last. He used to give individual attention to every student — something rare. The classmates used to be a handful; he never complained. Today he's retired, but still gives voluntary talks at state schools. Yesterday he gave a class on the military dictatorship that left the room in absolute silence. We gave a round of applause that lasted more than a minute. Next semester, he's going to give a free online course for teachers across Brazil. "If it works out, I will give at least two groups a year for as long as my health holds," he says. I asked what drives him. "I would give all of this even without an audience," he replied. "Because whoever gives knowledge loses nothing — it only multiplies."
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