La dependienta me dio una bolsa con nueces y avellanas para la merienda del viaje.

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Breakdown of La dependienta me dio una bolsa con nueces y avellanas para la merienda del viaje.

• con: with
• me: me
• para: for

Questions & Answers about La dependienta me dio una bolsa con nueces y avellanas para la merienda del viaje.

Why is it la dependienta and not something else?

La dependienta means the shop assistant / saleswoman. It is specifically feminine, so it refers to a female worker in a shop.

• el dependiente = male shop assistant
• la dependienta = female shop assistant

In Spain, dependiente/dependienta is a very common word for someone serving customers in a store.

What does me mean in me dio?

Me is an indirect object pronoun meaning to me.

So:

• dio = gave
• me dio = gave me / gave to me

Spanish often uses these short pronouns instead of saying a mí unless extra emphasis is needed.

Why is it dio and not daba?

Dio is the preterite form of dar, and it is used for a completed action in the past:

• La dependienta me dio... = the shop assistant gave me...

This sounds like one finished event.

Daba would be the imperfect, which is used more for repeated actions, background description, or an ongoing past situation:

• La dependienta me daba bolsas... = the shop assistant used to give me bags...

So dio is the natural choice here because this is one specific completed action.