darse cuenta
realize
The term 'darse cuenta' in Spanish refers to the English term 'realize.' It typically means that someone has come to an understanding or has developed awareness about something. It may be used in a variety of contexts, such as realizing an error in a calculation, realizing the importance of an event, or realizing a fact about oneself. It is often used in past tense to describe when someone realized something.
Example sentences using: darse cuenta
De repente me di cuenta de que había olvidado mis llaves en casa.
Suddenly, I realized that I had forgotten my keys at home.
This sentence uses 'me di cuenta', the past tense of the verb phrase 'darse cuenta', which means 'to realize'. It shows a sudden realization of forgetting something at home.
María se dio cuenta de que estaba enamorada.
Maria realized that she was in love.
In this sentence, 'María se dio cuenta' refers to Maria's understanding or realization of her own emotional state, that she is in love.
No me di cuenta de que la reunión conseguía a las 8, no a las 9.
I didn't realize that the meeting started at 8, not 9.
This phrase provides an example of an oversight or misunderstanding of scheduling. 'No me di cuenta' denotes lacking awareness about a fact.
Cuando llegué a la estación, me di cuenta de que había perdido mi billete.
When I got to the station, I realized that I had lost my ticket.
This expression indicates the realization of a loss - in this case, a ticket - upon reaching a certain place, the station.
Luis se dio cuenta que había cometido un error.
Luis realized that he had made a mistake.
This is an example of 'darse cuenta' used to express realization of a mistake that's been made.
Mi jefe se dio cuenta de que había olvidado programar la reunión.
My boss realized that he had forgotten to schedule the meeting.
In this phrase, 'Mi jefe se dio cuenta' means the boss had an epiphany or realization concerning forgetting a certain task, specifically, scheduling a meeting.
Carlos se dio cuenta que había dejado el horno encendido.
Carlos realized that he had left the oven on.
Carlos has a realization about something he forgot to do - turning off the oven. 'Carlos se dio cuenta' expresses his sudden understanding.
Ana se dio cuenta que había olvidado comprar pan.
Ana realized that she had forgotten to buy bread.
This sentence implies that Ana has just come to an awareness about something she did not do, which is buying bread.
Los investigadores se dieron cuenta que estaban persiguiendo al sospechoso equivocado.
The investigators realized they were chasing the wrong suspect.
This demonstrates realization within a group - the investigators, in this case - about a fundamental error in their ongoing pursuit.
Pablo se dio cuenta de que no había apagado las luces antes de salir de la casa.
Pablo realized that he did not turn off the lights before leaving the house.
This phrase shows a moment of realization where Pablo understands that he committed an oversight, specifically not turning off the lights before leaving.