Tener vs Hacer vs Dar: Essential Expressions
The same idea takes different verbs: tener when you feel it (tengo frío), hacer for the weather (hace frío) and dar when something makes you feel it (me da frío).
Taught in: A1.1 Week 2: Personal Information
The rule at a glance
tener = you feel it · hacer = the weather does it · dar = it makes you feel it
Tener: you feel it
tengo frío
I'm cold
Tengo mucho frío
I'm very cold
Hacer: the weather
hace frío
it's cold (outside)
Hace frío hoy
It's cold today
Dar: it makes you feel it
me da frío
it makes me cold
Este viento me da frío
This wind makes me cold
Tener vs dar: fear
tengo miedo · da miedo
I'm scared · it's scary
Esa película da miedo
That film is scary
- Use the noun, not an adjective: tengo frío, tengo hambre, never estoy frío or tengo hambriento.
Expressions by concept
Three of the most common verbs in Spanish, tener, hacer and dar, are used in countless everyday expressions. The challenge? The same concept (like "being cold") uses completely different verbs depending on context, and translating word for word from English leads to mistakes: you can't say estoy frío for "I'm cold" or es caliente for "it's hot" (the weather). For "to have" in general, see haber vs tener.
Temperature: frío and calor
Tener · personal temperature (you feel it): Tengo mucho frío – I'm very cold
Tener · personal temperature (you feel it): ¿Tienes calor? Are you hot?
Hacer · weather temperature: Hace frío hoy – It's cold today
Hacer · weather temperature: Hace mucho calor en agosto – It's very hot in August
Dar · causing temperature sensation: Este viento me da frío – This wind makes me cold
Dar · causing temperature sensation: Este abrigo me da calor – This coat makes me hot
Fear: miedo
Tener · to feel fear (you're scared): Tengo miedo de las arañas – I'm afraid of spiders
Tener · to feel fear (you're scared): Tiene miedo a volar – He's afraid to fly
Dar · something causes fear (it's scary): Esa película da miedo – That film is scary
Dar · something causes fear (it's scary): La oscuridad me da miedo – Darkness scares me
Hunger and thirst: hambre and sed
Tener · to feel hungry/thirsty: Tengo mucha hambre – I'm very hungry
Tener · to feel hungry/thirsty: ¿Tienes sed? Are you thirsty?
Dar · something makes you hungry / to feed: Este olor me da hambre – This smell makes me hungry
Dar · something makes you hungry / to feed: Doy de comer a mi perro – I feed my dog
Desire: ganas
Tener · to want / feel like doing: Tengo ganas de ir al cine – I feel like going to the cinema
Tener · to want / feel like doing: No tengo ganas de estudiar – I don't feel like studying
Dar · something makes you want to: Esta música me da ganas de bailar – This music makes me want to dance
Dar · something makes you want to: Me dan ganas de llorar – It makes me want to cry
Being right: razón and caso
Tener · to be right/correct: Tienes razón, me equivoqué – You're right, I was wrong
Tener · to be right/correct: Ella no tiene razón – She's not right
Hacer · to pay attention / listen: Haz caso a tu madre – Listen to your mother
Hacer · to pay attention / listen: No me hace caso – He doesn't listen to me
Dar · to admit someone is right: Le doy la razón – I admit he/she is right
Dar · to admit someone is right: El profesor me dio la razón – The teacher agreed with me
Hurry and embarrassment: prisa and vergüenza
Tener · to feel hurried / embarrassed: Tengo prisa, llegaré tarde – I'm in a hurry, I'll be late
Tener · to feel hurried / embarrassed: Tengo vergüenza de hablar en público – I'm embarrassed to speak in public
Darse prisa · to hurry up: ¡Date prisa! Hurry up!
Dar vergüenza · to make someone embarrassed: Me da vergüenza cantar – I'm embarrassed to sing
Hurt and need: daño and falta
Hacer · to hurt / to need: Me hacen daño estos zapatos – These shoes hurt me
Hacer · to hurt / to need: Hace falta estudiar más – It's necessary to study more
In context
The three verbs side by side in everyday situations:
1. A winter day
Hace mucho frío hoy – It's very cold today (weather)
Tengo frío, voy a ponerme un abrigo – I'm cold, I'm going to put on a coat (personal)
Este aire acondicionado me da frío – This air conditioning makes me cold (causes feeling)
2. An argument with a friend
Creo que tengo razón – I think I'm right
¿Por qué no me haces caso? Why don't you listen to me?
Bueno, te doy la razón – Okay, I admit you're right
3. Film night
Tengo ganas de ver una película – I feel like watching a film
Esta película me da miedo – This film scares me
El olor de las palomitas me da hambre – The popcorn smell makes me hungry
4. Running late
Tengo mucha prisa – I'm in a big hurry
¡Date prisa! Hurry up!
Hace falta salir ahora – We need to leave now
Common mistakes
Using "estar" for physical sensations
Not this (incorrect): Estoy frío
But this (correct): Tengo frío. Physical sensations use "tener" + noun, not "estar" + adjective.
Using "ser" for weather
Not this (incorrect): Es frío hoy
But this (correct): Hace frío hoy. Weather expressions use "hacer", not "ser" or "estar".
Confusing tener/dar miedo
Not this (incorrect): El perro tiene miedo (when you mean it's scary)
But this (correct): El perro da miedo – The dog is scary. Tener = you feel it; dar = you cause others to feel it.
Muy instead of mucho
Not this (incorrect): Tengo muy hambre
But this (correct): Tengo mucha hambre – I'm very hungry. Hambre, frío and calor are nouns, so "very" is mucho/mucha, not muy.
Quick check
6 questions1. 'I'm cold' is...
You feel the cold yourself, so use tener + the noun frío.
2. 'It's very hot in August' (the weather) is...
Weather takes hacer: hace calor, hace frío.
3. 'That film is scary' is...
The film causes fear in others, so use dar: da miedo.
4. 'You're right' is...
Being right is tener razón. Dar la razón means to admit someone is right.
5. 'He doesn't listen to me' is...
Hacer caso means to pay attention to someone or listen to them.
6. 'I'm very hungry' is...
Use tener + the noun hambre. Because hambre is a noun, "very" is mucha, not muy.
Choose the right verb for each expression.