dar vida
/daɾ bida/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'give life' is translated into Spanish as dar vida.
dar vida is used to describe the act of producing a living being or the act of bringing something into existence.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb dar (to give) and the noun vida (life).
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to specify what or who is being given life, you must use the preposition a after the phrase, forming dar vida a.
Did you know?
- While dar vida means to create life, the phrase dar la vida (adding the article 'the') means to sacrifice one's life or to put an immense amount of effort into something.
- The word dar is a direct descendant of the Latin 'dare', which is the same root found in the English word 'data', meaning 'things given'.
- The verb dar is used in Spanish to express sensations that English attributes to the object, such as dar miedo to say something is scary rather than saying it 'is' scary.
Examples in context
- El talento y la pasión de esa bailarina dan vida al escenario.The talent and passion of that dancer bring the stage to life.
- Ese colorido mural le da vida a la habitación.That colorful mural gives life to the room.
- El concierto de anoche realmente fue increíble, la música le dio vida a la audiencia y nos animó a todos.Last night's concert was truly amazing, the music gave life to the audience and uplifted us all.
- Ese color le da vida a la habitación.That color gives life to the room.
- La madre dio vida a tres hijos.The mother gave life to three children.
- Esa planta parece dar vida al salón.That plant seems to give life to the living room.
- El color azul puede dar vida a la habitación.The color blue can give life to the room.
- La lluvia ayuda a dar vida al campo.The rain helps to give life to the countryside.
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are discussing their gardening hobby.
- LucíaTengo que regar las flores ahora.I have to water the flowers now.
- AlejandroSí, el agua es lo que les da vida.Yes, water is what gives them life.
- LucíaMira cómo crecen estas semillas.Look at how these seeds are growing.
- AlejandroEs increíble ver cómo empiezan a dar vida.It is incredible to see how they begin to produce life.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dar, vida, CC BY-SA 4.0.
