What are common mistakes with Verbos irregulares: ir y dar?

Ir is completely irregular — it doesn't follow any pattern. Learners must memorize all forms. Also forgetting 'a' after ir (*Voy la escuela → Voy a la escuela). 🇬🇧 English speakers: 'Go to' maps well to 'ir a', but they forget the preposition 'a' or confuse it with estar ('I go' vs 'I am'). 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: Russian 'идти/ходить/ехать' distinguishes walking vs. riding; Spanish 'ir' covers all. This simplification can feel strange. 🇨🇿 Czech speakers: Czech 'jít/jet' also distinguishes mode of transport. Spanish 'ir' is simpler. The preposition 'a' maps to Czech 'do' reasonably well.

Verbos irregulares: ir y dar | Spanish Grammar A1

Verbos irregulares: ir y dar

A1 — Verbos

Completely irregular verbs ir (to go) and dar (to give)

Can conjugate ir and dar, use ir + a for destinations

Completely irregular verbs ir (to go) and dar (to give)

Examples

Voy al supermercado. — I go to the supermarket.
¿Adónde vas este fin de semana? — Where are you going this weekend?
Te doy mi número de teléfono. — I give you my phone number.

VerbosA1

Verbos irregulares: ir y dar

Completely irregular verbs ir (to go) and dar (to give)

Learning Goal

Can conjugate ir and dar, use ir + a for destinations

Exam Skills:Comprensión auditivaExpresión oral

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Voy al supermercado.

I go to the supermarket.

¿Adónde vas este fin de semana?

Where are you going this weekend?

Te doy mi número de teléfono.

I give you my phone number.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

Los verbos ir (to go) y dar (to give) son completamente irregulares en presente.

Persona	ir	dar
yo	voy	doy
tú	vas	das
él/ella/usted	va	da
nosotros/as	vamos	damos
vosotros/as	vais	dais
ellos/ellas/ustedes	van	dan

Ir + a + lugar:

Voy a la escuela. (I go to school)
Vamos al cine. (We go to the cinema — al = a + el)
Van a casa. (They go home — «a casa» sin artículo)

Ir + a + infinitivo = futuro inmediato (ver tema 43).

Dar: Se usa en muchas expresiones: dar un paseo (take a walk), dar las gracias (say thanks), dar miedo (to scare).

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Ir is completely irregular — it doesn't follow any pattern. Learners must memorize all forms. Also forgetting 'a' after ir (*Voy la escuela → Voy a la escuela). 🇬🇧 English speakers: 'Go to' maps well to 'ir a', but they forget the preposition 'a' or confuse it with estar ('I go' vs 'I am').

Voy al supermercado.

I go to the supermarket.

ir → yo voy. 'al' = a + el (mandatory contraction). Ir always needs 'a' before a destination.

¿Adónde vas este fin de semana?

Where are you going this weekend?

'Adónde' (to where) is used with ir because ir implies movement to a destination.

Te doy mi número de teléfono.

I give you my phone number.

dar → yo doy. 'Te' is the indirect object pronoun (to you). Dar often appears with indirect objects.

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

A1 Course

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Put it into practice

Try a free exercise from the course

Frequently asked questions

When is Verbos irregulares: ir y dar used?: Los verbos ir (to go) y dar (to give) son completamente irregulares en presente.
How is Verbos irregulares: ir y dar formed?: Dar: Se usa en muchas expresiones: dar un paseo (take a walk), dar las gracias (say thanks), dar miedo (to scare).
What are common mistakes with Verbos irregulares: ir y dar?: Ir is completely irregular — it doesn't follow any pattern. Learners must memorize all forms. Also forgetting 'a' after ir (*Voy la escuela → Voy a la escuela). 🇬🇧 English speakers: 'Go to' maps well to 'ir a', but they forget the preposition 'a' or confuse it with estar ('I go' vs 'I am'). 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: Russian 'идти/ходить/ехать' distinguishes walking vs. riding; Spanish 'ir' covers all. This simplification can feel strange. 🇨🇿 Czech speakers: Czech 'jít/jet' also distinguishes mode of transport. Spanish 'ir' is simpler. The preposition 'a' maps to Czech 'do' reasonably well.