Introduction
deis is a Spanish verb form that learners often meet in instructions, requests, and sentences about hopes or possibilities. It comes from dar, meaning to give, and it is used when speaking to a group of people with the informal plural pronoun vosotros. For example, a teacher might say Espero que deis una respuesta, meaning I hope you give an answer. The form can look unfamiliar because many Spanish courses focus first on Latin American usage, where speakers usually say ustedes instead of vosotros.
Learning deis helps you understand the present subjunctive, a verb mood used to express wishes, recommendations, uncertainty, and other ideas that are not simply stated as facts. It also helps you recognize negative commands such as No deis la respuesta todavía. This guide explains the form in clear English, shows how it works in natural sentences, and compares it with similar forms such as dais, den, and dad.
Meaning and Definition
Deis is the second-person plural form of the present subjunctive of the Spanish verb dar. In simple terms, it is a form used when one person speaks to a group of people addressed as vosotros or vosotras. Depending on the sentence, it can correspond to you give or you may give in English. The exact translation depends on the surrounding words.
Spanish uses the subjunctive to show that an action is wanted, suggested, possible, uncertain, or dependent on a condition. The subjunctive does not usually present the action as a plain fact. Compare Vosotros dais las gracias, meaning You give thanks, with Me alegra que deis las gracias, meaning I am glad that you give thanks. The first sentence reports an action. The second expresses a feeling about that action, so it uses the subjunctive form.
The form can also appear in negative instructions. In Spanish, the negative command for vosotros uses the present subjunctive: No deis tantos detalles means Do not give so many details. A positive command uses a different form: Dad tantos detalles means Give so many details. This difference is useful because the same verb can look different depending on whether the instruction is positive or negative.
Dar is an irregular verb, so its subjunctive forms do not follow the most common pattern exactly. Its present subjunctive forms are dé, des, dé, demos, deis, and den. The form for vosotros is therefore deis. Its history leads back through Spanish dar to the Latin verb dare, also meaning to give. For everyday learners, recognizing the modern verb family is more useful than memorizing the full historical path.
Although deis has a specific grammatical definition, it does not have just one English translation. In Quiero que deis una opinión, the meaning is I want you to give an opinion. In Cuando deis la señal, empezaremos, it means When you give the signal, we will begin. In both cases, the Spanish form refers to the group being addressed, while the sentence structure determines the natural English wording.
Usage and Example Sentences
The examples below use vosotros, which is common in Spain. Each sentence shows a situation where the subjunctive is needed, or where a negative command calls for the same verb form. Notice that the English translation may use give, you give, or a longer phrase.
Spanish: Espero que deis una respuesta clara.
English: I hope you give a clear answer.
The verb follows espero que, a phrase that expresses hope. The speaker is not simply reporting that the group has given an answer; the speaker hopes that it happens. This is a common and practical pattern for making wishes or expressing expectations.
Spanish: Es importante que deis las gracias al final.
English: It is important that you give thanks at the end.
Here, es importante que introduces a recommendation or judgment. The subject of the main idea is different from the group expected to act, so Spanish naturally uses the subjunctive in the following clause.
Spanish: Cuando deis el aviso, todos podrán empezar.
English: When you give the notice, everyone will be able to begin.
When cuando refers to a future action that has not happened yet, Spanish commonly uses the subjunctive. The main clause points to what will happen afterward. If the sentence described a regular or completed event instead, the verb choice could be different.
Spanish: No deis la respuesta todavía; escuchad la pregunta completa.
English: Do not give the answer yet; listen to the complete question.
This is a negative command addressed to a group. Spanish forms negative vosotros commands with the present subjunctive. The second part contains a positive command, escuchad, which shows the contrast between positive and negative instruction forms.
Spanish: Quiero que me deis una idea para el proyecto.
English: I want you to give me an idea for the project.
The expression quiero que communicates a desire, so the verb in the second clause is subjunctive. The small word me means to me or for me here, and it appears before the verb form.
Spanish: Puede que deis con una solución sencilla.
English: You may come up with a simple solution.
Puede que expresses possibility rather than certainty. In this example, dar con is a phrase meaning to find or come up with something. It is a reminder that the meaning of dar can shift in common expressions.
Spanish: Aunque deis varias sugerencias, elegiremos la más práctica.
English: Even if you give several suggestions, we will choose the most practical one.
When aunque introduces an action that is uncertain or imagined, it can be followed by the subjunctive. The speaker is considering the possibility of receiving suggestions, not confirming that the suggestions have already been given.
Spanish: Os agradeceré que deis vuestra opinión con calma.
English: I will appreciate it if you give your opinion calmly.
This sentence uses a polite, considerate tone while still addressing a group as vosotros. The request is expressed indirectly through appreciation. In many regions, a speaker would use ustedes and a different verb form instead.
Synonyms, Antonyms, and Word Usage Differences
There is no single synonym that can replace deis in every sentence. It is a conjugated form, so the best alternative depends on both the meaning of dar and the grammar around it. For instance, ofrezcáis, from ofrecer, can mean that you offer something. It may work in a sentence about offering help, but it does not replace deis in every use of give.
Another related verb is entregar, meaning to hand over or deliver. If someone is giving a document to another person, entregar may be more precise than dar. By contrast, dar una opinión is a natural way to say give an opinion, while entregar una opinión would usually sound unnatural. Choosing between these verbs depends on what is being given and what the speaker wants to emphasize.
The closest grammatical comparison is dais. It is the present indicative form of dar for vosotros, and it describes a fact, habit, or direct statement: Vosotros dais buenos consejos means You give good advice. The subjunctive form deis appears after expressions of wishes, feelings, recommendations, uncertainty, and some future conditions. A helpful learning habit is to identify the phrase before the verb before choosing between these forms.
Do not confuse deis with den. Both belong to the present subjunctive of dar, but den is used with ustedes and with ellos or ellas. For example, a speaker addressing a group in much of Latin America might say Espero que ustedes den una respuesta. A speaker using vosotros in Spain would say Espero que deis una respuesta.
The positive command dad is also different. Use dad when telling a group addressed as vosotros to give something: Dad una respuesta breve. Use deis in a negative command: No deis una respuesta todavía. The two forms are not interchangeable, even though they refer to the same group and the same basic verb.
Spanish does not have a direct grammatical antonym for deis, because it is a verb form rather than a word with one fixed meaning. When the intended idea is not giving something, a speaker may use guardéis, from guardar, meaning that you keep or save it, or conservéis, meaning that you preserve it. These are alternatives only when they fit the meaning of the sentence, not automatic opposites.
To choose correctly, ask two questions. First, is the sentence addressed to vosotros? If not, another conjugation may be needed. Second, is the sentence reporting a fact, or expressing a wish, possibility, recommendation, or negative command? The answer helps you choose between indicative dais, subjunctive deis, and command forms such as dad.
Pronunciation and Accent
The usual pronunciation of deis in Spain can be represented in IPA as /ˈdeis/ or, more closely to common speech, /ˈdejs/. The first sound is like the d in English day, though Spanish d is often a little softer between vowels. The vowel sequence ei is a diphthong: the two vowel sounds move together in one syllable. The final s is pronounced clearly in many parts of Spain.
The word has one syllable, and the voice naturally places stress on that syllable. It is written deis, without an accent mark. Spanish spelling rules do not require a written accent on this one-syllable form. Do not add an accent and write dé is or déís; neither is the correct spelling of the verb form.
A common learner mistake is to pronounce the vowels as two separate syllables, as if the word were de-is. In standard pronunciation, ei usually forms one smooth syllable. Another mistake is to confuse the spelling with dais. The first vowel matters: dais is an indicative form, while deis is a subjunctive form. Listening for the vowel and noticing the grammar together can help you tell them apart.
Pronunciation of the s varies across Spanish-speaking regions. In many places it remains a clear s sound, while in some accents it may be softened or reduced in certain positions. The spelling stays the same. For learners, the most important points are to keep the word to one syllable, pronounce the ei smoothly, and remember that it has no written accent mark.
Native Speaker Nuance and Usage Context
The form deis is most closely associated with vosotros, the familiar plural form of you. Speakers use vosotros frequently in everyday conversation in much of Spain when addressing friends, family, classmates, or a group in a relaxed setting. The matching verb forms are also common in classrooms, books, online content, and informal group instructions.
In much of Latin America, speakers generally use ustedes to address a group, including people they know well. In those varieties, the matching subjunctive form is den, not deis. This is a regional difference, not a difference in politeness or correctness. Learners who travel or communicate with speakers from different regions will benefit from recognizing both patterns.
Within Spain, vosotros usually sounds familiar and conversational, while ustedes can sound more formal in many contexts. Usage varies by region, and local habits may differ. If you are learning Spanish for a particular place, listen to how people there address groups and follow the variety you are studying. Understanding deis remains useful even if you mostly speak a variety that uses ustedes.
Native speakers do not normally choose deis just because a sentence refers to a group. The grammatical trigger matters. They use it after phrases such as quiero que, me alegra que, and es necesario que, when the sentence expresses a wish, feeling, or recommendation. It can also follow certain expressions about an action that may happen later. In contrast, a straightforward statement about what a group regularly does uses dais.
Negative commands are especially useful in daily communication. A speaker might use No deis la vuelta todavía to tell a group not to turn yet, or No deis por terminada la actividad to ask them not to consider an activity finished. These instructions are directed at a familiar group using vosotros. A more formal or regionally different version would use a matching ustedes command form.
It is also helpful to notice that Spanish often uses the subjunctive where English does not show a special verb ending. English says I hope you give, while Spanish marks the second verb with a subjunctive form. Rather than translating word by word, learn common sentence frames such as Espero que… and Es importante que…. These frames help you recognize when the form sounds natural.
Conclusion
Deis is the present subjunctive form of dar used with vosotros. Its basic meaning relates to giving, but the sentence around it decides whether the natural English translation is you give, you may give, or another expression. It commonly appears after words and phrases that express wishes, feelings, advice, uncertainty, or future conditions. It is also the form used in negative commands to a familiar group, as in No deis….
Keep it separate from dais, which usually reports a fact, and from dad, the positive plural command. Remember that deis is mainly used in Spain, while many Latin American speakers use ustedes with den. Pronounce the word as one syllable, with a smooth ei sound, and write it without an accent mark. Learning this form will make it easier to understand Spanish instructions and express ideas naturally when using the vosotros variety.
