da

Everyday

1. (slang) «Da» is a playful spelling of «the», as in «da best»; it copies how some people say «the». tree →
2. (Ireland, Scotland, Northern England, informal) «Da» means dad: «me da». tree →
3. (Russian) «Da» means «yes» in Russian; Ukrainian for «yes» is «tak», not «da». tree →
4. (Italian, Portuguese) «Da» means «from» or «by»: Leonardo da Vinci means «Leonardo from Vinci». tree →
5. (Mandarin, pinyin) «Dà» means «big». To an English ear it sounds like «dah». tree →
6. (a name) Da can also be part of a surname from Scotland or Ireland, such as Mac an Da’v. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday talk in Ireland and Scotland children say «me da» for my dad. In online chat and songs «da» stands for «the». In history and art lessons pupils meet «Leonardo da Vinci». In Mandarin lessons «dà» (big) and «xiǎo» (small) are early words. In stories about the Cold War, a Russian character might say «da».

Examples

• «Me da's picking me up after school», said Aoife. tree →
• Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa. tree →
• «Da» means «yes» in Russian. tree →
• In Ukrainian, «yes» is «tak». tree →
• In Mandarin, «dà» means «big». tree →
• The poster said «Da Best Burgers in Town». tree →
• Grandad calls his own father «Da». tree →
• Mac an Da’v turned to him. tree →

Note

Not a standard English word. In writing use «the» and «dad». Do not assume Russian and Ukrainian words are the same: «yes» is «da» in Russian but «tak» in Ukrainian. In names like «da Vinci» the «da» usually keeps a small d.

In Jewish tradition

In everyday talk in Ireland and Scotland children say «me da» for my dad. In online chat and songs «da» stands for «the». In history and art lessons pupils meet «Leonardo da Vinci». In Mandarin lessons «dà» (big) and «xiǎo» (small) are early words. In stories about the Cold War, a Russian character might say «da».

Examples

• "'Das luenfte Element ist also nicht aus der fuenfren mathematischen Figur geworden, da dasselbe als Urgrund ganz formlos ist. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) tree →
• '"Die Weltkugel besteht aus fuenf Koerpern: dies sind innerhalb der Kugel Feuer, Wasser, Erde, Luft und ausserdem fuenftens das Gehaeuse der Kugel selbst." (Nestle, Die For- sokratiker. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) tree →
• Deswegen spricht auch Stobaeus von bios vier Elementen, . . . weil das Juenfte Element als reiner Urgrund noch keine Zahl und daher im Kosmos nicht voshanden ist." (S. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) tree →

Note

Not a standard English word. In writing use «the» and «dad». Do not assume Russian and Ukrainian words are the same: «yes» is «da» in Russian but «tak» in Ukrainian. In names like «da Vinci» the «da» usually keeps a small d.