Breakdown of Mi padre me da un consejo.
un
a, an (masculine)
el padre
the father / the parents
mi
my
dar
to give
me
to me / me (direct object)
el consejo
the advice
Questions & Answers about Mi padre me da un consejo.
Why does me come before the verb da here?
In Spanish, indirect object pronouns like me (which tell us to whom the action is done) usually go right before the conjugated verb. So instead of saying "gives to me" like in English, Spanish structures it as me da.
Why is there an un before consejo? We don't say "an advice" in English.
In English, "advice" is an uncountable noun. But in Spanish, consejo is countable! Saying un consejo is perfectly normal and translates literally as "a piece of advice," though we usually just translate it as "advice."
Could I put the me at the end and say "Mi padre dame un consejo"?
No, you cannot attach pronouns to the end of a normal conjugated verb like da. Pronouns can only be attached to the end of infinitives (unconjugated verbs), positive commands, or gerunds (the "-ing" form). Because da is a standard present tense verb here, the me must go before it as a separate word.
What is the infinitive form of the verb da?
The infinitive is dar, which means "to give." It is a very common verb of transfer (giving something to someone). While dar is slightly irregular in some forms, its third-person singular form (da, matching mi padre) is completely regular.
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