Level A1 (Beginner)
Lesson written by French teacher David Issokson for students who want to learn French online, with audio recorded by Marie Assel Cambier, a professional voice artist and native French speaker.
From giving advice to giving gifts, the verb donner is everywhere in French. It means “to give” and is used in many daily expressions. Today you’ll learn its:
✅ Meaning
✅ Pronunciation
✅ Example sentences
✅ Related Words & Expressions
✅ Related lessons
📘 Donner meaning
The French verb donner means “to give.” It’s used for both concrete things (gifts, objects) and abstract ideas (advice, time). For example: Je te donne un cadeau (I’m giving you a present). See examples below.
🎧 Donner pronunciation
Donner is pronounced /dɔ.ne/, sounding like doh-nay. The o is “oh,” and the -er ending is “ay,” like in day.
📝 French and English examples
Donner – to give
Je te donne mon numéro de téléphone.
I’m giving you my phone number.
Elle donne souvent de très bons conseils.
She often gives very good advice.
📌 In the imperative form, donne-moi/donnez-moi means “give me.” This lesson explains je voudrais (I would like), the more polite way of asking for things.
Donnez-moi deux kilos de tomates.
Give me two kilos of tomatoes.
Donne-moi deux minutes, s’il te plaît.
Give me two minutes, please.
Elle m’a donné une très belle chemise.
She gave me a very nice shirt.
Il faut donner à manger au chat.
The cat needs to be fed.
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📊 Present tense conjugation
Donner is a regular -ER verb. This means that in the present tense its conjugation follows the same pattern as verbs like parler (to speak).
- Je donne — I give / I am giving
- Tu donnes — You give / You are giving (singular, informal)
- Il/elle donne — He/she gives / He/she is giving
- Nous donnons — We give / We are giving
- Vous donnez — You give / You are giving (plural, formal)
- Ils/elles donnent — They give / They are giving
👉 See the complete donnner conjugation tables here »
👉 How well do you know donner? Take the quiz! »
🔗 Expressions with donner
The French use donner constantly — not just to say “to give,” but in all kinds of everyday expressions. Here are the top 5 most common ones.
- donner rendez-vous à quelqu’un — to set a meeting with someone
- donner un coup de main — to give a hand, to help
- donner faim / soif — to make someone hungry / thirsty
- donner envie de — to make someone want (something)
- donner des nouvelles — to give news, keep someone updated
🚀 Boost your French vocabulary even further
Now that you’ve learned donner, explore my lesson on mettre — another essential and versatile verb meaning “to put.”
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