dale
“dale” means “Go for it!” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
Go for it!, Come on!, Let's do it!
Also: Go ahead, Hit it!
📝 In Action
¿Debería llamarla? —¡Sí, dale!
A2Should I call her? —Yes, go for it!
¡Vamos, equipo, dale con todo!
B1Come on, team, give it your all!
DJ, ¡dale!
B1DJ, hit it!
Okay, Alright
Also: Sounds good, Deal
📝 In Action
Nos vemos a las ocho en el café. —¿Dale?
A2Let's meet at eight at the café. —Okay?
¿Quieres ir al cine esta noche? —Dale, vamos.
B1Do you want to go to the movies tonight? —Sounds good, let's go.
Give it (to him/her/you)
📝 In Action
El perro tiene hambre. Dale su comida, por favor.
A2The dog is hungry. Give him his food, please.
Si ves a María, dale este recado de mi parte.
B1If you see Maria, give her this message from me.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: dale
Question 1 of 2
Your friend says, '¿Vamos a la playa?' (Should we go to the beach?). What is a cool, informal way to say 'Sounds good!'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from combining two words: 'da', which is the informal command 'give!' from the verb 'dar', and 'le', a little word that means 'to him/her/it/you'. So, its most literal meaning is 'Give to it!'. Over time, this idea of 'giving' action or permission evolved into its popular uses for encouragement and agreement.
First recorded: The components 'dar' and 'le' are from Latin, but this specific combination as a popular interjection is a more modern development in Spanish.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'dale' the same as 'vale'?
They are very similar! Both can mean 'okay'. 'Vale' is extremely common in Spain, while 'dale' is more common in Latin America. In many places, 'dale' also carries a stronger sense of energy and encouragement, like 'Let's do it!'.
I hear the singer Pitbull say 'Dale!' a lot. What does he mean?
He's using it as his signature hype word. In his songs, it means 'Let's go!', 'Hit it!', or 'Let's get this party started!'. He helped make the word famous all over the world.
Can I use 'dale' in a formal situation?
It's best to stick to more formal words like 'de acuerdo' (agreed) or 'sí, por favor' (yes, please) in formal settings. 'Dale' is a fantastic word for conversations with friends and in casual situations.