Describe Reactions with Dar Expressions
Dar plus a noun can express the reaction something causes in someone. Build me da vergüenza, nos da igual, and le da rabia with indirect-object pronouns.
Learning objective
Describe caused reactions using dar, an indirect-object pronoun, and a reaction noun.
Dar plus a reaction noun presents something as causing an experience in someone. The experiencer appears as an indirect-object pronoun—me, te, le, nos, os, or les—while the cause can control singular or plural agreement.
En Me da miedo la tormenta, me identifica a quien siente la reacción y la tormenta, singular, controla da. Con Las tormentas me dan miedo, el sujeto causal es plural y por eso usamos dan, aunque miedo siga en singular.
Frequent combinations include dar vergüenza, dar rabia, dar pena, dar igual, and dar ganas. Their meanings are conventional but flexible: me da pena can express sadness or sympathy, and me da igual can sound neutral or dismissive depending on tone.
El orden cambia el foco: Me preocupa el resultado y El resultado me preocupa describen una relación parecida; Me da preocupación es menos idiomático que me preocupa. Aprende qué sustantivos forman combinaciones frecuentes con dar, no una plantilla ilimitada.
When a clause causes the reaction, infinitive and que-clause options depend on participants and framing: Me da vergüenza hablar en público; Me da rabia que cancelen sin avisar. The second evaluates another event and commonly uses subjunctive after the reaction.
Para construir la frase, marca experiencer, causa y reacción. Conjuga dar según la causa, coloca el pronombre indirecto y comprueba el tono. Una emoción intensa puede necesitar una explicación para no sonar acusatoria o desproporcionada.
Examples
Me da vergüenza hablar delante de tanta gente.
I feel embarrassed speaking in front of so many people.
Me is the experiencer; the infinitive names the activity causing embarrassment.
Nos da igual la hora, siempre que podamos asistir.
We don't mind the time, provided we can attend.
Nos identifies the group; singular la hora controls da.
A Pablo le da rabia que cambien el plan sin avisar.
Pablo gets angry when they change the plan without warning.
A Pablo clarifies le; the evaluated event follows with subjunctive cambien.
Me dan miedo las tormentas eléctricas.
Thunderstorms frighten me.
Plural tormentas controls dan, while me remains the affected experiencer.
Common mistake
- Instead of
- Me da miedo las tormentas y nosotros da igual la fecha.
- Try
- Me dan miedo las tormentas y nos da igual la fecha.
Plural tormentas requires dan. The experiencer nosotros appears through indirect nos, not as the subject; singular fecha controls da in the second expression.
Practice
Try it yourself
Describe three reactions during event planning: storms frighten you, your group does not mind the venue, and Ana feels embarrassed asking for help. Make cause, experiencer, and agreement explicit in each sentence.