How to Say "to teach" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to teach” is “enseñar” — use 'enseñar' when you mean to instruct someone in a subject, skill, or craft, or to show someone something..
English → Spanish
enseñar
verbA1general
Use 'enseñar' when you mean to instruct someone in a subject, skill, or craft, or to show someone something.
Examples
Mi padre me enseñó a jugar al ajedrez.
My father taught me to play chess.
dar
/dar//'daɾ/
verbA2general
Use 'dar' in specific idiomatic phrases like 'dar una clase' to mean 'to give a class' or 'to teach a class'.
Examples
La profesora va a dar una lección sobre la historia de España.
The teacher is going to give a lesson on the history of Spain.
Vamos a dar una fiesta el sábado.
We're going to throw a party on Saturday.
El profesor da clases de historia.
The professor gives/teaches history classes.
Me gusta dar un paseo por el parque por la tarde.
I like to take a walk in the park in the afternoon.
Using 'dar' instead of 'enseñar'
Learners often mistakenly use 'dar' for the general act of teaching. Remember that 'dar' is typically used in set phrases like 'dar una clase' (to give a class), while 'enseñar' is the standard verb for instructing or imparting knowledge directly.
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