How To Say ‘Give Me That’ In Spanish

Say “Dame eso” with friends, or “¿Me lo da?” when you want a polite, respectful request.

You’re trying to get someone to hand you an item. A pen, a charger, the remote, that book on the table. English uses one simple line: “Give me that.” Spanish can be just as simple, yet it shifts with tone, distance, and what “that” stands for.

This page gives you the go-to phrases, then shows how to tweak them so you don’t sound pushy, odd, or overly stiff. You’ll also get a short practice set you can run in two minutes.

How To Say ‘Give Me That’ In Spanish In Real Conversations

If you only learn one version, learn this:

Dame eso. — direct, common, used with people you’re close to.

Dame comes from dar (to give). It’s the tú command form. Eso is “that” in a neutral way, when the noun isn’t stated.

In daily talk, people soften this line with manners or context:

Dame eso, por favor. — still direct, but friendlier.
Dame eso un segundo. — “hand that to me for a second.”
Dame eso aquí. — “hand that here,” often said while reaching out.

Spanish also uses questions as requests. These often feel less blunt, even among friends:

¿Me das eso? — “will you give me that?” casual and daily.
¿Me pasas eso? — “can you pass me that?” handy at a table.
¿Me lo das? — “will you give it to me?” when “that” is clear from context.

Pick The Tone: Direct, Soft, Or Formal

“Give me that” can sound playful, neutral, or bossy, all from the same three words. Spanish makes the tone choice clearer, so you get better results when you pick the right form on purpose.

When You’re Speaking With Friends Or Family

With people you’re close to, commands are normal. You still want a light tone, so your voice and facial expression do part of the work.

Dame eso.
Dámelo. — “give it to me.” (me + lo attaches to the command)
Pásame eso. — “pass me that.”

If you want to sound less demanding, switch to a question:

¿Me das eso, porfa? — “porfa” is a casual short form of por favor.
¿Me lo pasas? — works when the item is already obvious.

When You’re Speaking With A Stranger Or In A Service Setting

With someone you don’t know, or with staff in a store, a bank, or an office, use usted forms. They’re polite without being stiff.

¿Me lo da, por favor?
¿Me puede dar eso, por favor? — adds “can you,” extra polite.
¿Me lo puede pasar? — “can you pass it to me?”

In Spain, you may hear ¿Me lo das? even with people you’ve just met, since tú is used more broadly. In much of Latin America, usted often stays longer. If you’re unsure, ¿Me lo da? is a safe pick.

When You Need A Firm Line Without Sounding Rude

Sometimes you’re setting a boundary: a child grabbed something, or someone’s about to spill a drink. Spanish has firm options that still read as normal speech.

Dame eso ya. — “give me that now.”
Dámelo. — short and clear.
Oye, dámelo. — “hey, give it to me.”

Keep the words short. Don’t stack extra bits that sound like a lecture. A calm voice often lands better than more words.

What “That” Means In Spanish

English uses “that” for lots of things. Spanish asks you to pick from a small set that matches distance and gender. When you skip this step, your sentence still gets understood, yet it can sound off.

Use Eso, Eso De Ahí, Or That + Noun

Eso points to a thing when you aren’t naming the noun:

Dame eso. — “give me that.”
¿Me das eso de ahí? — “will you give me that one there?”

If you do name the noun, match gender:

Dame esa taza. — “give me that cup.” (taza is feminine)
Dame ese libro. — “give me that book.” (libro is masculine)

Use Esto Or Este When It’s Near You

When the item is close to you, Spanish often uses “this” words instead of “that.” If you’re holding the object or pointing at something in your hand, this is the natural move.

Dame esto. — “give me this.”
Dame este bolígrafo. — “give me this pen.”

Use Aquel When It’s Farther Away

Spanish can mark “that over there,” farther from both of you. This shows up when you’re pointing across a room or down a street.

Dame aquello. — “give me that over there.”
Dame aquella carpeta. — “give me that folder over there.”

Phrases Compared Side By Side

Here’s a quick set you can scan when you’re deciding how to ask.

Spanish phrase	When it fits	Small note
Dame eso.	Close friends, siblings, close coworkers	Direct command; add “por favor” if needed
¿Me das eso?	Casual request that feels lighter	Question form; good default in many moments
Pásame eso.	Passing something across a table	Often used with food, tools, small items
Dámelo.	When “that” is already obvious	Object pronoun attached to the command
¿Me lo pasas?	Casual, item is clear from context	Short, natural, common in speech
¿Me lo da, por favor?	Strangers, formal settings, service counters	Usted form; polite without extra wording
¿Me puede dar eso, por favor?	When you want extra courtesy	Adds “can you”; good when asking a favor
Dame esa / ese + noun.	When you name the object	Match gender: esa (f), ese (m)

Lo, La, Los, Las: When “That” Turns Into “It”

In English, “that” and “it” swap around. Spanish uses object pronouns to stand in for a noun you both already know. That’s why you’ll hear dámelo more than you might expect.

Pick The Pronoun From The Noun

If the thing is masculine singular, use lo. Feminine singular uses la. Plural forms are los and las.

el teléfono → dámelo
la llave → dámela
los papeles → dámelos
las fotos → dámelas

With questions, the pronoun still comes before the verb:

¿Me lo das?
¿Me la pasas?

Put The Accent Where It Belongs

When you attach pronouns to a command, Spanish often adds an accent to keep the stress in the same place: dámelo, dámela, dámelos.

People skip the accent in texting. In writing, add it. It helps you read it right, too.

Pronunciation That Helps You Sound Natural

You don’t need a perfect accent to be clear. A few small habits get you closer to how people actually say these lines.

Say Dame As One Smooth Chunk

Dame is two quick beats: DA-meh. The “a” is like “ah,” not like the “a” in “day.” The “e” is like “meh,” not like “mee.”

Keep Eso Light

Eso is EH-soh. The “s” stays crisp. Don’t turn it into a “z” sound unless that’s part of your regional accent.

Link Sounds In A Sentence

Spanish likes smooth connections. In dame eso, the final “e” and the next word flow together. You’ll often hear something close to “da-me-so.” It’s still the same words, just said quickly.

Common Slip-Ups And How To Fix Them

Most mistakes with this phrase come from mixing up command forms, pronouns, or the “this/that” words. Fixing them is easier than it looks.

Mixing Up Da And Dame

Da means “he/she gives” or “give” in a formal command (usted). Dame means “give me” in an informal command (tú).

Dame eso. — informal
Déme eso, por favor. — formal (note the accent on déme)

Using Lo With Eso In The Same Breath

You usually pick one: either the neutral “that” word (eso) or the object pronoun (lo/la). Saying dame lo eso is a common learner mix-up.

Pick one clean line:

Dame eso.
Dámelo.

Forgetting Gender When You Name The Object

If you say the noun, match it: esa taza, ese libro. If you’re unsure of gender, you can skip the noun and use eso instead while you learn.

Words For “That” By Distance And Gender

This table helps when you’re pointing at something and also naming it.

Distance	Masculine	Feminine
Near you	este	esta
Near the other person	ese	esa
Far from both	aquel	aquella

Two-Minute Practice You Can Do Today

Practice works best when you keep it short and repeat the same pattern with small swaps. Do this once, then do it again tomorrow.

Step 1: Say The Core Line Ten Times

Say “Dame eso.” out loud ten times, steady pace.
Then say it once with “por favor.”
Then say it once as a question: “¿Me das eso?”

Step 2: Swap The Object

Pick three items near you. Use each with a noun once, then with a pronoun once.

Dame ese libro. → Dámelo.
Dame esa taza. → Dámela.
Pásame el cargador. → Pásamelo.

Step 3: Switch To Usted

Say each line once in a polite form. This trains your mouth to switch modes without pausing.

¿Me lo da, por favor?
¿Me puede dar eso, por favor?
¿Me lo puede pasar?

Other Ways People Ask For An Item

Two other verbs show up a lot. Pasar is “pass,” handy at a table. Alcanzar is “hand over,” used when something is just out of reach. Both pair well with the same pronouns you’ve seen. If you plan to return the item, prestar (“lend”) works well, too. In places, these sound friendlier than a command.

¿Me pasas eso?
¿Me lo pasas?
¿Me alcanzas eso?
¿Me prestas eso un momento?

Cheat Sheet: The Lines You’ll Reach For Most

If you want a tiny set that handles most situations, stick to these. They’re common, clear, and easy to adapt.

Dame eso. (close people)
¿Me das eso? (casual, softer)
Pásame eso. (passing items)
Dámelo. (when the item is obvious)
¿Me lo da, por favor? (polite, stranger)
¿Me puede dar eso, por favor? (extra courtesy)

Once those feel comfortable, add nouns and pronouns as you go. That’s the part that makes you sound natural, since you’re no longer stuck saying the same line each time.