doy
“doy” means “I give” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
I give
Also: I hand over
📝 In Action
Yo te doy las llaves del coche.
A1I'll give you the car keys.
Siempre le doy un regalo a mi madre en su cumpleaños.
A1I always give my mom a gift on her birthday.
I teach
Also: I take (a walk), I give (a speech)
📝 In Action
Doy clases de guitarra los fines de semana.
A2I teach guitar lessons on the weekends.
Todos los días doy un paseo por el parque.
A2Every day I take a walk through the park.
Mañana doy una presentación en el trabajo.
B1Tomorrow I'm giving a presentation at work.
I cause
Also: I make (someone feel), I strike / hit
📝 In Action
Con mis chistes, le doy risa a todo el mundo.
B1With my jokes, I make everyone laugh.
Me doy cuenta de que es tarde.
B1I realize that it's late.
Le doy un golpe a la mesa sin querer.
B1I hit the table by accident.
Desde mi ventana, doy al mar.
B2From my window, I look out onto the sea.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: doy
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'doy' to mean 'I teach'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
'Doy' comes from the verb 'dar,' which traces back to the Latin word 'dare,' meaning 'to give.' The '-oy' ending for the 'yo' form is a unique development in Spanish for a handful of very old and common verbs.
First recorded: Ancient, derived from Latin.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it 'doy' and not 'do'? I thought '-ar' verbs end in '-o' for 'yo'.
You're right, most do! But Spanish has a few very common, very old verbs that are irregular in the 'yo' form. 'Dar' (to give) becomes 'doy', 'estar' (to be) becomes 'estoy', and 'ir' (to go) becomes 'voy'. Think of them as special VIP verbs you just have to memorize.
What's the difference between 'doy' and 'regalo'?
'Doy' is an action word (a verb) that means 'I give'. 'Regalo' can be a thing (a noun, meaning 'a gift') or another action word ('yo regalo', meaning 'I gift'). You use 'doy' to perform the action of giving something, like this: 'Doy un regalo' (I give a gift).