In English, we often use "to be" or "to feel" to describe our emotional reactions (e.g., "I am embarrassed"). In Spanish, many strong feelings and physical sensations are expressed using the verb dar (to give) paired with a noun.
How it works
Verbs of emotional reaction with dar follow the same structure as gustar. The thing or situation causing the emotion is the subject, and the person experiencing the feeling is the indirect object (me, te, le, nos, les).
Literally, you are saying that something "gives" you an emotion.
| It embarrasses him to speak in public. | A él le da vergüenza hablar en público. |
If the thing causing the emotion is a singular noun or an action (an infinitive verb), use the singular form da.
| That insect disgusts and angers us. | Ese insecto nos da asco y rabia. |
If the trigger is a plural noun, use the plural form dan.
| Big dogs make him nervous. | A él le dan nervios los perros grandes. |
Common emotional triggers
You can pair dar with many nouns to describe specific feelings, such as vergüenza (embarrassment), asco (disgust), pavor (dread), risa (amusement), and nervios (nervousness).
| The silence of the house fills me with dread and sadness. | El silencio de la casa me da pavor y tristeza. |
You can also use this structure in the past tenses to talk about how things used to make you feel (imperfect) or how you reacted in a specific moment (preterite).
| The actor made me laugh a lot, but the novel made me sad. | El actor me dio mucha risa, pero la novela me dio tristeza. |
| Heights used to terrify me, but yesterday they didn't scare me. | Antes las alturas me daban pavor, pero ayer no me dieron miedo. |