dar cuerda

Spanish

Etymology

Literally, “to give rope”.

Verb

dar cuerda (first-person singular present doy cuerda, first-person singular preterite di cuerda, past participle dado cuerda)

1. (transitive, idiomatic) to wind up (a toy, clock etc.)
2. (transitive, idiomatic) to get started

Further reading

• “dar cuerda a alguien”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2023 November 28