The French verb “donner” means “to give” in English, and it is an important verb to know when speaking French. In this blog post, we’ll go over the different ways to use “donner” and its conjugation.
1. To give something
The most common use of "donner" is to give something to someone. For example:
- Je vais donner un livre à ma sœur. (I am going to give a book to my sister.)
- Il donne de l'argent à son fils. (He is giving money to his son.)
- Nous avons donné des fleurs à notre professeur. (We gave flowers to our teacher.)
In these examples, "donner" is used to indicate the act of giving something to someone.
2. To give information
"Donner" can also be used to give information to someone. For example:
- Pouvez-vous me donner votre adresse ? (Can you give me your address?)
- Elle m'a donné les horaires du train. (She gave me the train schedule.)
- Le médecin donne des conseils pour rester en bonne santé. (The doctor gives advice for staying healthy.)
In these examples, "donner" is used to indicate the act of giving information to someone.
3. To give a hug or kiss
In French, "donner" can also be used to indicate the act of giving a hug or a kiss. For example:
- Donne-moi un câlin. (Give me a hug.)
- Elle m'a donné un bisou sur la joue. (She gave me a kiss on the cheek.)
- Nous nous sommes donné la bise. (We gave each other a kiss on the cheek.)
In these examples, "donner" is used to indicate the act of giving physical affection to someone.
4. To give a speech or performance
Finally, "donner" can also be used to indicate performing or giving a speech. For example:
- Il a donné un discours à l'assemblée. (He gave a speech at the assembly.)
- Elle a donné un concert hier soir. (She gave a concert last night.)
- Nous allons donner une représentation de théâtre. (We are going to give a theater performance.)
In these examples, "donner" is used to indicate the act of performing or giving a speech.
Conjugation of "donner":
Here's the conjugation of "donner" in the present tense:
- je donne
- tu donnes
- il/elle/on donne
- nous donnons
- vous donnez
- ils/elles donnent
As you can see, "donner" is a regular -er verb and follows the same pattern as other -er verbs in French.In conclusion, “donner” is a versatile verb that can be used in many different ways in French. Whether you’re giving something to someone, giving information, physical affection, or a performance, “donner” is a useful verb to know.