Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "to give" in Russian

This Russian word is one of the top 1000 words in Russian. The complete list of most common Russian words is available here.

дать

Meaning: to give, to let, to allow

Pronunciation: [daht']

Part of speech: verb (perfective aspect)

Rank: #177 (see frequency list)

We were served a piece of cake with the coffee.
Photo by Ticky, licensed under CC SA 2.0

Example sentences:

Дай мне кни́гу, пожáлуйста.
Give me the book, please.
Вы не дади́те мне мéлочь?
Could you give me small change?
Он дал мне свой нóмер телефóна.
He gave me his phone number.
Они́ не дáли мне отвéтить.
They didn't let me answer.
Cкóлько дашь за компью́тер?
How much could you pay for the computer?
literal How much will you give for the computer?
Дáйте пройти́!
Excuse me! (trying to pass through)
literal Let me pass!
Нóвый мéтод дал свои́ результáты.
A new method produced good results.
literal A new method gave its results.
К кóфе нам дáли пирóжное.
We were served a piece of cake with the coffee.
literal They gave us a piece of cake with the coffee.
Дай-ка мне прикури́ть!
Сan you give me a light, please
literal Give me to smoke, please.
Если ты бу́дешь ругáться, я дам тебé в у́хо!
If you keep swearing, I'll hit you in the ear!
literal If you keep swearing, I'll give you on the ear!
Ему́ не дашь и тридцати́!
You wouldn't even think he's thirty!
literal You wouldn't give him even thirty!
Им дáли дécять лет.
They were sentenced for ten years.
Онá далá мне поня́ть, что я непрáв.
She let me understand that I wasn't right.

Idioms and set expressions:

Кто дал вам прáво? = Who gave you the right to?
И что э́то даëт? = Well, what good is it?
Дай ему́! = Hit him!
Я тебé дам! = I'll teach you!
Ни дать ни взять = Exactly like
Ну он даëт! = Isn't that cute of him!
Дать вóлю рукáм = Start fighting
Дать слóво = Give one's word of honour
Дать о себé знать = Smth is felt, smth works

Related words:

давáть = to give, to let, to allow
принести́ = to bring
разреши́ть = to allow

Proverbs and sayings:

Не дал бог здорóвья, не даст и лéкарь.
If God didn't give you health, a doctor won't give it to you either.
Чегó бог не дал, тогó за дéньги не ку́пишь.
One can't buy the things not given to you by God.
Дал слóво - держи́.
If you gave the word of honor, you have to keep it.

Verb conjugation:

Present Tense

The perfective verb дать is not used in the Present Tense. Use the imperfective verb давать instead.

Past Tense

I, you (singular), he	да́л
she	дала́
it	да́ло, дало́
we, you (plural), they	да́ли

Future Simple Tense

I	да́м
you (singular)	да́шь
he, she, it	да́ст
we	дади́м
you (plural)	дади́те
they	даду́т

Future Compound Tense

The perfective verb дать is not used in the Future Compound Tense. Use the imperfective verb давать instead.

Imperative Mood (Command Form)

you (singular)	да́й
you (plural)	да́йте

View full conjugation table for the verb pair давать/дать

Vocabulary lesson: By Russificate blog exclusively for MasterRussian

Phrase recordings: Copyright(c) 2011 MasterRussian.com. All rights reserved.
Word recordings: Copyright(c) 2006 Streit Goulnara, Streit Eric, Vion Nicolas. Copyright(c) 2007 S. Sakhno, N. Vion. Distributed under CC-BY.

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