- Understand the pattern: tener (internal), hacer (weather/environment), dar (causes others to feel)
- Master temperature expressions: tener frío/calor vs hacer frío/calor vs dar frío/calor
- Apply expressions for fear, hunger, desire, being right, and more
- Avoid common mistakes like "estoy frío" or "es frío hoy"
- Use these expressions naturally in everyday conversation
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📑ReferenceIntermediate
Tener vs Hacer vs Dar: Essential Expressions
When to use each verb for the same concept
What You'll Learn
Overview
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.
💡 The Key Pattern
Tener = You experience it internally (tener frío = I'm cold)
Hacer = The weather/environment does it (hace frío = it's cold outside)
Dar = Something/someone causes others to experience it (da frío = it makes you cold)
Mastering these expressions is essential because direct translation from English often leads to mistakes. You can't say "estoy frío" for "I'm cold" or "es caliente" for "it's hot weather" in Spanish -you need the right verb!
Structure & Formation
Temperature: Frío & Calor
Tener
Personal temperature (you feel it)
Tengo mucho frío
I'm very cold
¿Tienes calor?
Are you hot?
Hacer
Weather temperature
Hace frío hoy
It's cold today
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
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
Tiene miedo a volar
He's afraid to fly
Dar
Something causes fear (it's scary)
Esa película da miedo
That movie is scary
La oscuridad me da miedo
Darkness scares me
Hunger: Hambre & Sed
Tener
To feel hungry/thirsty
Tengo mucha hambre
I'm very hungry
¿Tienes sed?
Are you thirsty?
Dar
Something makes you hungry / to feed
Este olor me da hambre
This smell makes me hungry
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
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
Me dan ganas de llorar
It makes me want to cry
Being Right: Razón & Caso
Tener
To be right/correct
Tienes razón, me equivoqué
You're right, I was wrong
Ella no tiene razón
She's not right
Hacer
To pay attention / listen
Haz caso a tu madre
Listen to your mother
No me hace caso
He doesn't listen to me
Dar
To admit someone is right
Le doy la razón
I admit you're right
El profesor me dio la razón
The teacher agreed with me
Hurry & Embarrassment: Prisa & Vergüenza
Tener
To feel hurried / embarrassed
Tengo prisa, llegaré tarde
I'm in a hurry, I'll be late
Tengo vergüenza de hablar en público
I'm embarrassed to speak in public
Dar
To hurry someone / to be embarrassing
¡Date prisa!
Hurry up!
Me da vergüenza cantar
I'm embarrassed to sing
Hacer
To hurt / to need
Me hace daño el estómago
My stomach hurts
Hace falta estudiar más
It's necessary to study more
Examples
Practice using these expressions in context:
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 AC makes me cold (causes feeling)
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
Movie Night
Tengo ganas de ver una película
I feel like watching a movie
Esta película me da miedo
This movie scares me
El olor de las palomitas me da hambre
The popcorn smell makes me hungry
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
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Using "estar" for physical sensations
✗ Estoy frío
✓ Tengo frío
Physical sensations use "tener" + noun, not "estar" + adjective
❌ Using "ser" for weather
✗ Es frío hoy
✓ Hace frío hoy
Weather expressions use "hacer", not "ser" or "estar"
❌ Confusing tener/dar miedo
✗ El perro tiene miedo (when you mean it's scary)
✓ El perro da miedo (the dog is scary)
Tener = you feel it; dar = you cause others to feel it
❌ Using adjective forms instead of nouns
✗ Tengo hambriento
✓ Tengo hambre
Use the noun form (hambre, frío, calor) with tener, not adjectives
❌ Forgetting "la" with razón
✗ Dar razón a alguien
✓ Dar la razón a alguien
The article "la" is required with "dar la razón"
💡 Quick Reference
TENER
I feel/am...
I feel/am...
HACER
Weather/it is...
Weather/it is...
DAR
It makes me...
It makes me...
