The Spanish expression "darle a alguien por algo" or "por hacer algo" is often used when talking about starting to do something new.
How to use the Spanish expression dar a alguien por algo
The Spanish idiomatic expression "dar a alguien por algo" is often used to express a "sudden interest in something/doing something", when there was no apparent desire or inclination to do this before. It implies a sudden decision.
Here are some examples:
A mi madre le ha dado por llamarme todas las noches. Me tiene controlada.My mum has suddenly started calling me every night. She keeps me under surveillance.
Notice that the verb dar is always conjugated in the 3rd person singular and is followed by the preposition "por", followed by either an infinitive or a noun.
It's important to pay attention to the indirect object pronoun. This indicates the person/people who has taken the new interest in something.(me ha dado por..., le dio por...)
This indirect object can be doubled by also using the form "a+ person", e.g. "A María le ha dado por..."
See also Repetition of indirect object pronouns with verbs in Spanish (general)
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