dele
/DEH-leh/
give him/her/it
A person giving a piece of fruit to another person.
dele(verb)
give him/her/it
?telling someone to give something to a third person
give you
?telling someone to give something to a person you are addressing formally
📝 In Action
Cuando vea al cartero, dele la carta.
A2When you see the mailman, give him the letter.
Si el perro tiene hambre, dele un poco de comida.
A2If the dog is hungry, give it some food.
💡 Grammar Points
What is 'dele'?
It is a combination of 'dé' (the polite command form of the verb 'dar') and the little word 'le' (meaning 'to him', 'to her', or 'to you').
Pronoun Attachment
In Spanish, when you tell someone to do something (a command), you stick the person receiving the action ('le') directly onto the end of the verb.
❌ Common Pitfalls
The Missing Accent
Mistake: "Writing it as 'déle'."
Correction: Write it as 'dele'. Even though the standalone command 'dé' has an accent, when you add 'le' to the end, the rules of Spanish spelling say the accent is no longer needed.
⭐ Usage Tips
Formal Situations
Use 'dele' when you are speaking to someone you address as 'usted' (like a boss or a stranger). If you're talking to a friend, you would use 'dale' instead.
An enthusiastic person ready to start an action.
dele(interjection)
Go ahead!
?encouraging someone to start or continue an action
Do it!
?giving permission or urging someone
,Keep going!
?telling someone to continue what they are doing
📝 In Action
—¿Puedo pasar? —¡Sí, dele!
B1—Can I come in? —Yes, go ahead!
¡Dele, no se rinda!
B1Keep going, don't give up!
⭐ Usage Tips
Context is Key
In many countries like Colombia or Costa Rica, people say '¡Dele!' or '¡Hágale!' as a very friendly way to say 'Sure!' or 'Go for it!'
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: dele
Question 1 of 2
If you want to tell a friend (informally) to give someone a book, would you use 'dele'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't 'dele' have an accent mark if 'dé' does?
Spanish spelling rules state that if a word ends in a vowel and the stress is on the second-to-last syllable (like DE-le), it doesn't need an accent. The accent on 'dé' is only there to distinguish it from the word 'de' (of).
Who does the 'le' in 'dele' refer to?
It can mean 'to him', 'to her', 'to it', or even 'to you' (if you are being very formal).