donner is a regular -er verb that means "to give." It is used whenever you want to express giving something to someone, whether it's a physical object, information, or even responsibility.
- donner = to give
- Regular -er verb: follows the standard -er conjugation pattern
- Can be used for tangible things, favors, information, or responsibility
*donner* means "to give."
*donner* is a regular -er verb.
Conjugation: Present Tense
Donner follows the regular -er verb pattern in the present tense:
| Subject | Conjugation | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je | donne | Je donne | I give |
| Tu | donnes | Tu donnes | You give (sing.) |
| Il/Elle/On | donne | Il donne | He/She/One gives |
| Nous | donnons | Nous donnons | We give |
| Vous | donnez | Vous donnez | You give (pl.) |
| Ils/Elles | donnent | Ils donnent | They give |
- Remove -er from donner → donn-, then add: -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent
Nous form is *donnons*.
It's 'Ils/Elles donnent.'
Passé Composé
Use avoir + the past participle donné:
| Subject | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| J'ai | donné | I gave / I have given |
| Tu as | donné | You gave |
| Il/Elle a | donné | He/She gave |
| Nous avons | donné | We gave |
| Vous avez | donné | You gave |
| Ils/Elles ont | donné | They gave |
- Past participle for donner = donné
*donner* uses 'avoir' as its auxiliary verb.
The past participle of *donner* is 'donné.'
Imparfait
Drop -er, add imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient
| Subject | Conjugation | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je | donnais | Je donnais | I was giving / used to give |
| Tu | donnais | Tu donnais | You were giving... |
| Il/Elle | donnait | Il donnait | He was giving... |
| Nous | donnions | Nous donnions | We were giving... |
| Vous | donniez | Vous donniez | You were giving... |
| Ils/Elles | donnaient | Ils donnaient | They were giving... |
*donner* means "to give."
Correct present forms: donne, donnes, donnons, donnez, donnent.
Common Uses & Expressions
- donner quelque chose à quelqu'un — to give something to someone
- donner rendez-vous — to make an appointment, to arrange to meet
- donner son avis — to give one's opinion
- donner des conseils — to give advice
- donner le change — to give the impression, to deceive
Yes, *donner* can be used for giving advice (*donner des conseils*) or opinions (*donner son avis*).
It's '*donner rendez-vous*' for making plans.
Examples
- Je donne un cadeau à mon ami. (I give a gift to my friend.)
- Elle donne toujours de bons conseils. (She always gives good advice.)
- Nous avons donné les devoirs au professeur. (We gave the homework to the teacher.)
- Donne-moi ton numéro! (Give me your number!)
Elle donne des conseils utiles. (She gives useful advice.) is correct.
Ils ont donné les livres aux enfants.
Conclusion
donner is a versatile, regular -er verb essential for expressing the act of giving, whether things, advice, or opinions.
- It follows standard -er verb conjugations in all tenses.
- Can be used in various expressions beyond just giving objects.
- Mastering donner unlocks many common communicative functions in French.