In this module, we will explore 30 common Spanish verbs beginning with the letter “D.” You will learn their English translations, how to use them in sentences, and practice using them in different tenses (present, past, and future). These verbs will allow you to expand your vocabulary and enhance your ability to express a wide range of actions.
Dar (dahr) – to give
Decidir (deh-see-DEER) – to decide
Decir (deh-SEER) – to say, to tell
Declarar (deh-klah-RAHR) – to declare
Defender (deh-fehn-DEHR) – to defend
Dejar (deh-HAHR) – to leave, to let
Delatar (deh-lah-TAHR) – to denounce, to betray
Delinear (deh-lee-NEH-ahr) – to outline
Demostrar (deh-mohs-TRAHR) – to demonstrate
Depender (deh-pehn-DEHR) – to depend
Depositar (deh-poh-see-TAHR) – to deposit
Derivar (deh-ree-VAHR) – to derive
Desafiar (deh-sah-FEE-ahr) – to challenge
Descansar (dehs-kahn-SAHR) – to rest
Describir (dehs-kree-BEER) – to describe
Descubrir (dehs-koo-BREER) – to discover
Desear (deh-seh-AHR) – to wish, to desire
Deshacer (dehs-ah-SEHR) – to undo
Despejar (dehs-peh-HAHR) – to clear up
Despertar (dehs-pehr-TAHR) – to wake up
Destacar (dehs-tah-KAHR) – to highlight
Detener (deh-teh-NEHR) – to stop
Devolver (deh-vohl-VEHR) – to return (an object)
Dibujar (dee-boo-HAHR) – to draw
Dirigir (dee-ree-HEER) – to direct
Discutir (dees-koo-TEER) – to discuss, to argue
Diseñar (dee-seh-NYAHR) – to design
Disfrutar (dees-froo-TAHR) – to enjoy
Dividir (dee-bee-DEER) – to divide
Doblar (doh-BLAHR) – to fold, to turn
Dar – to give
Present: Yo doy regalos en Navidad. – I give gifts at Christmas.
Past: Él dio una conferencia interesante. – He gave an interesting lecture.
Future: Nosotros daremos todo nuestro apoyo. – We will give all our support.
Decidir – to decide
Present: Tú decides qué película veremos. – You decide which movie we will watch.
Past: Ellos decidieron mudarse a otra ciudad. – They decided to move to another city.
Future: Decidiré más tarde. – I will decide later.
Decir – to say, to tell
Present: Ella dice que todo está bien. – She says everything is fine.
Past: Dijiste algo muy gracioso ayer. – You said something very funny yesterday.
Future: Dirán la verdad mañana. – They will tell the truth tomorrow.
Declarar – to declare
Present: El presidente declara un día festivo. – The president declares a holiday.
Past: Declaramos nuestra intención en la reunión. – We declared our intention at the meeting.
Future: Declararás tus impuestos la próxima semana. – You will declare your taxes next week.
Defender – to defend
Present: Defiendo mis ideas en el debate. – I defend my ideas in the debate.
Past: Ellos defendieron el castillo con valentía. – They defended the castle bravely.
Future: Defenderemos nuestros derechos. – We will defend our rights.
Dejar – to leave, to let
Present: Dejo mis llaves en la mesa. – I leave my keys on the table.
Past: Nos dejaron usar el salón para la fiesta. – They let us use the hall for the party.
Future: Te dejaré conducir mi coche mañana. – I will let you drive my car tomorrow.
Delatar – to denounce, to betray
Present: El testigo delata al culpable. – The witness betrays the culprit.
Past: Ella delató al ladrón a la policía. – She reported the thief to the police.
Future: Ellos delatarán cualquier actividad sospechosa. – They will report any suspicious activity.
Delinear – to outline
Present: El arquitecto delinea los planos del edificio. – The architect outlines the building plans.
Past: Delineamos el proyecto el mes pasado. – We outlined the project last month.
Future: Delinearé las metas del equipo. – I will outline the team’s goals.
Demostrar – to demonstrate
Present: Ella demuestra su habilidad en la competencia. – She demonstrates her skill in the competition.
Past: Demostramos que teníamos razón. – We demonstrated that we were right.
Future: Ellos demostrarán cómo usar el software. – They will demonstrate how to use the software.
Depender – to depend
Present: Eso depende del clima. – That depends on the weather.
Past: Dependieron de su ayuda para terminar. – They depended on his help to finish.
Future: Dependeremos de ti para el transporte. – We will depend on you for transportation.
Depositar – to deposit
Present: Deposito dinero en mi cuenta cada semana. – I deposit money into my account every week.
Past: Él depositó un cheque ayer. – He deposited a check yesterday.
Future: Depositaremos el pago mañana. – We will deposit the payment tomorrow.
Derivar – to derive
Present: El químico deriva una nueva fórmula. – The chemist derives a new formula.
Past: Ellos derivaron conclusiones de los datos. – They derived conclusions from the data.
Future: Derivaremos ideas del estudio. – We will derive ideas from the study.
Desafiar – to challenge
Present: Te desafío a un juego de ajedrez. – I challenge you to a game of chess.
Past: Él desafió a su oponente en la competencia. – He challenged his opponent in the competition.
Future: Ellos desafiarán las normas antiguas. – They will challenge the old rules.
Descansar – to rest
Present: Descanso después del trabajo. – I rest after work.
Past: Ellos descansaron en la playa durante sus vacaciones. – They rested on the beach during their vacation.
Future: Descansarás mejor en un buen colchón. – You will rest better on a good mattress.
Describir – to describe
Present: Describe su experiencia en detalle. – He describes his experience in detail.
Past: Describí la escena a la policía. – I described the scene to the police.
Future: Describiremos nuestro viaje a nuestros amigos. – We will describe our trip to our friends.
Descubrir – to discover
Present: Descubro algo nuevo cada día. – I discover something new every day.
Past: Ellos descubrieron una cueva oculta en el bosque. – They discovered a hidden cave in the forest.
Future: Descubrirás una sorpresa en tu regalo. – You will discover a surprise in your gift.
Desear – to wish, to desire
Present: Deseo que tengas éxito. – I wish for you to succeed.
Past: Ellas desearon buena suerte al equipo. – They wished the team good luck.
Future: Te desearemos lo mejor en el futuro. – We will wish you the best in the future.
Despedir – to fire, to say goodbye
Present: El jefe despide a los empleados irresponsables. – The boss fires irresponsible employees.
Past: Nos despedimos de nuestros amigos ayer. – We said goodbye to our friends yesterday.
Future: Me despediré de ti en la puerta. – I will say goodbye to you at the door.
Despertar – to wake up
Present: Me despierto a las seis cada mañana. – I wake up at six every morning.
Past: Nos despertamos tarde el domingo pasado. – We woke up late last Sunday.
Future: Te despertarás temprano para el viaje. – You will wake up early for the trip.
Detener – to stop, to detain
Present: El policía detiene al ladrón. – The policeman stops the thief.
Past: Detuvimos el coche antes del semáforo. – We stopped the car before the traffic light.
Future: Detendrán el proyecto si no hay fondos. – They will stop the project if there are no funds.
Devolver – to return
Present: Devuelvo los libros a la biblioteca. – I return the books to the library.
Past: Ella devolvió el vestido a la tienda. – She returned the dress to the store.
Future: Devolveremos la llamada más tarde. – We will return the call later.
Disculpar – to excuse, to forgive
Present: Disculpo a los estudiantes por llegar tarde. – I excuse the students for being late.
Past: Te disculpé porque cometiste un error honesto. – I forgave you because you made an honest mistake.
Future: Disculparán cualquier malentendido. – They will forgive any misunderstanding.
Discutir – to discuss, to argue
Present: Discutimos los detalles del contrato. – We discuss the details of the contract.
Past: Ellos discutieron sobre política anoche. – They argued about politics last night.
Future: Discutirás tus ideas con el grupo mañana. – You will discuss your ideas with the group tomorrow.
Diseñar – to design
Present: Diseña ropa para una famosa marca. – She designs clothes for a famous brand.
Past: Diseñaron el logotipo el mes pasado. – They designed the logo last month.
Future: Diseñaré un nuevo sitio web para mi negocio. – I will design a new website for my business.
Disfrutar – to enjoy
Present: Disfrutamos la vista desde el mirador. – We enjoy the view from the lookout.
Past: Disfruté mucho de la fiesta anoche. – I enjoyed the party a lot last night.
Future: Disfrutarás tus vacaciones en la playa. – You will enjoy your vacation at the beach.
Dividir – to divide
Present: Ellos dividen el terreno en varias partes. – They divide the land into several parts.
Past: Dividimos el pastel en ocho porciones. – We divided the cake into eight pieces.
Future: Dividirán la cuenta entre todos. – They will divide the bill among everyone.
Doblar – to fold, to turn
Present: Doblas la esquina y verás la tienda. – You turn the corner, and you’ll see the store.
Past: Ella dobló las servilletas con cuidado. – She folded the napkins carefully.
Future: Doblaré la ropa después de lavarla. – I will fold the clothes after washing them.
Doler – to hurt, to ache
Present: Me duele la cabeza después del examen. – My head hurts after the exam.
Past: Nos dolió el corazón al escuchar la noticia. – Our hearts ached when we heard the news.
Future: Te dolerá si no tienes cuidado. – It will hurt if you’re not careful.
Dormir – to sleep
Present: Duermo ocho horas cada noche. – I sleep eight hours every night.
Past: Ellos durmieron en un hotel cerca del aeropuerto. – They slept at a hotel near the airport.
Future: Dormirás mejor con menos ruido. – You will sleep better with less noise.
Dudar – to doubt
Present: Dudo que venga hoy. – I doubt he will come today.
Past: Ellos dudaron de su sinceridad. – They doubted his sincerity.
Future: No dudaré en ayudarte si lo necesitas. – I won’t hesitate to help you if you need it.
In this section, we’ve covered 30 Spanish verbs starting with “D.” These verbs are widely used and can help you express actions and states across various situations. Practicing these in different tenses will help you become more versatile in speaking and writing Spanish.