Dative in German

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The dative case in German is used to indicate the indirect object of a sentence. The indirect object is the person or thing that benefits from or is affected by the action of the verb. It answers the questions “to whom?” or “for whom?”

When to Use the Dative Case

The dative case is used in these situations:

  1. To show the indirect object of a sentence
  2. After certain verbs that require the dative case
  3. After certain prepositions that always take the dative case

Dative Case with Indirect Objects

The dative case shows to whom or for whom something is given, shown, or done.

Example:
Ich gebe dem Mann das Buch.
Translation: “I give the man the book.”
Explanation: Dem Mann is the indirect object receiving the book.

Example:
Sie schenkt der Freundin Blumen.
Translation: “She gives the friend flowers.”
Explanation: Der Freundin is the indirect object receiving the flowers.

Verbs that Require the Dative Case

Some verbs in German always require the dative case.

Common dative verbs include:

  • helfen (to help)
  • danken (to thank)
  • folgen (to follow)
  • gehören (to belong)
  • schmecken (to taste)

Example:
Er hilft dem Kind.
Translation: “He helps the child.”
Explanation: Dem Kind is in the dative case because the verb helfen requires it.

Example:
Wir danken dem Lehrer.
Translation: “We thank the teacher.”
Explanation: Dem Lehrer is in the dative case after the verb danken.

Prepositions that Take the Dative Case

Certain prepositions in German always require the dative case.

Common dative prepositions include:

  • aus (out of, from)
  • bei (at, near)
  • mit (with)
  • nach (after, to)
  • seit (since, for)
  • von (from, of)
  • zu (to, at)

Example:
Ich gehe mit dem Freund ins Kino.
Translation: “I go to the cinema with the friend.”
Explanation: Mit requires the dative case, so dem Freund is used.

Example:
Sie kommt von der Schule.
Translation: “She comes from the school.”
Explanation: Von requires the dative case, so der Schule is used.

Dative Case Articles

Articles in the dative case change depending on the gender and number of the noun.

Gender Definite Article Indefinite Article
Masculine dem einem
Feminine der einer
Neuter dem einem
Plural den (+ -n to noun) – (no indefinite)

Example:
Ich spreche mit dem Lehrer. – “I speak with the teacher.” (Masculine)
Sie hilft der Frau. – “She helps the woman.” (Feminine)
Wir spielen mit dem Kind. – “We play with the child.” (Neuter)
Er gibt den Kindern Geschenke. – “He gives the children gifts.” (Plural with -n ending)

Dative Pronouns

Personal pronouns also change in the dative case.

English Nominative Dative
I ich mir
You du dir
He er ihm
She sie ihr
It es ihm
We wir uns
You (plural) ihr euch
They sie ihnen
You (formal) Sie Ihnen

 

Example:
Kannst du mir helfen? – “Can you help me?”
Wir geben euch die Tickets. – “We give you (plural) the tickets.”

Common Phrases with the Dative Case

  • Mir ist kalt. – “I am cold.”
  • Ihm gefällt das Buch. – “He likes the book.”
  • Ihr wird geholfen. – “She is being helped.”
  • Uns ist langweilig. – “We are bored.”

These phrases show how the dative case works in everyday sentences.

Exercises

Here are exercises to practice using the dative case in German. The solutions are provided in a separate section after the exercises.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blank with the Correct Article

Fill in the blanks with the correct dative article: dem, der, den, or einem, einer.

  1. Ich helfe ___ Mann. (I help the man.)
  2. Wir danken ___ Frau. (We thank the woman.)
  3. Er spielt mit ___ Kind. (He plays with the child.)
  4. Sie gibt ___ Kindern ein Geschenk. (She gives the children a gift.)
  5. Du sprichst mit ___ Lehrer. (You speak with the teacher.)

Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Dative Pronoun

Choose the correct dative pronoun to complete the sentences.

  1. Kannst du ___ helfen? (Can you help me?)
  2. Wir geben ___ das Buch. (We give him the book.)
  3. Er schreibt ___ einen Brief. (He writes her a letter.)
  4. Ich zeige ___ den Weg. (I show you (plural) the way.)
  5. Sie erzählt ___ eine Geschichte. (She tells us a story.)

Exercise 3: Identify the Indirect Object

Identify the indirect object in each sentence. Write the indirect object word.

  1. Der Lehrer gibt dem Schüler die Hausaufgaben. (The teacher gives the student the homework.)
  2. Wir schicken der Freundin eine Einladung. (We send the friend an invitation.)
  3. Er erzählt den Kindern eine Geschichte. (He tells the children a story.)
  4. Ich bringe meiner Mutter Blumen. (I bring my mother flowers.)
  5. Sie zeigt dem Mann den Weg. (She shows the man the way.)

Exercise 4: Translate into German (Using the Dative Case)

Translate the following sentences into German.

  1. I give the woman a book.
  2. He helps the child.
  3. We show the man the house.
  4. They send the children gifts.
  5. She writes her friend a letter.

Solutions

Solution to Exercise 1: Fill in the Blank

  1. Ich helfe dem Mann. – “I help the man.”
  2. Wir danken der Frau. – “We thank the woman.”
  3. Er spielt mit dem Kind. – “He plays with the child.”
  4. Sie gibt den Kindern ein Geschenk. – “She gives the children a gift.”
  5. Du sprichst mit dem Lehrer. – “You speak with the teacher.”

Solution to Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Dative Pronoun

  1. Kannst du mir helfen? – “Can you help me?”
  2. Wir geben ihm das Buch. – “We give him the book.”
  3. Er schreibt ihr einen Brief. – “He writes her a letter.”
  4. Ich zeige euch den Weg. – “I show you (plural) the way.”
  5. Sie erzählt uns eine Geschichte. – “She tells us a story.”

Solution to Exercise 3: Identify the Indirect Object

  1. dem Schüler – “the student”
  2. der Freundin – “the friend”
  3. den Kindern – “the children”
  4. meiner Mutter – “my mother”
  5. dem Mann – “the man”

Solution to Exercise 4: Translate into German

  1. Ich gebe der Frau ein Buch.
  2. Er hilft dem Kind.
  3. Wir zeigen dem Mann das Haus.
  4. Sie schicken den Kindern Geschenke.
  5. Sie schreibt ihrer Freundin einen Brief.
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What is dative in English?

The dative case in English is used to indicate the indirect object of a sentence. The indirect object is the person, animal, or thing that receives the benefit of the action or to whom or for whom something is done. It answers the questions “to whom?”, “for whom?”, “to what?”, or “for what?” after the verb.

Example:
“She gave him a gift.”
Explanation: Him is the indirect object receiving the gift.

Example:
“They sent their friend a letter.”
Explanation: Their friend is the indirect object receiving the letter.

In English, the dative case can be expressed in two ways:

  1. Without a preposition (when the indirect object comes before the direct object)
    Example:
    “I told her the story.” – Her is the indirect object.

  2. With a preposition (usually to or for when the indirect object follows the direct object)
    Example:
    “I told the story to her.” – Her is the indirect object.

Dative Pronouns in English

Personal pronouns used as indirect objects in the dative case include:

  • me
  • you
  • him
  • her
  • it
  • us
  • them

Example sentences:
“He gave me a book.” – Me is the indirect object.
“We offered them help.” – Them is the indirect object.

Nouns in English do not change form for the dative case, but pronouns do. Understanding the dative case helps in identifying who benefits from or is affected by the action in a sentence.