All About German Dative Case – Simple and Easy / Der Dativ

In this lesson, you will learn all about the German dative caseand, what the dative is, how it is used and declined.

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CONTENT

What is the dative in German?
The dative case as the object of a verb
Declension
Little things that make learning easier
Article and Adjective in the dative case
Dative Pronouns
Dative object/ Indirect object
Dative and accusative object
Order of objects in a sentence
Prepositions requiring dative case

What is the dative in German?

The dative case is often used to mark a person (rarely a thing) affected in some way by the action or event expressed by the verb, especially with verbs which denote an activity, in particular moving and making things, or which indicate a change of state.
The dative case is the most frequent case used after prepositions.

For example:
Er schenkt seiner Freundin ein Parfüm.

The dative case as the object of a verb

The dative case marks the indirect object of transitive verbs. The indirect object usually indicates the person receiving the direct object of the verb. In German, the indirect object is in the dative case, while in English it is indicated by the word order or by a phrase introduced by that.

For example:
Ich habe dem Polizisten meinen Führerschein gezeigt.
I showed the policeman my driving license.
I showed my driving license to the policeman.
Ich habe meinem Freund das Buch geliehen.
I lent my friend the book.
I lent the book to my friend.

Some verbs take a sole object in the dative case

These are intransitive verbs which do not have a direct object in the accusative case, but only a dative object. The English equivalents are most often simple transitive verbs.

For example:
Sie hat mir für meine Hilfe gedankt. – She thanked me for my help.
Der Lehrer drohte dem Schüler mit einer schlechten Note.-The teacher threatened the student with a bad grade

Other verbs like this are: dienen, folgen, gratulieren, helfen and schmeicheln.

Verbs that require an object in the dative case are actually intransitive verbs and cannot form the passive.

Certain verbs and prepositions require the dative. If you want to learn more about this, see the lessons Dative Verbs and Dative Prepositions.

We ask dative questions with Wem? (To whom?).
Er schenkt seiner Freudin ein Parfüm.
Wem schenkt er ein Parfüm? – Seiner Freundin.

The dative in German expresses position and then answers the question Wo? ( Where?).

For example:
Sie ist in der Schule.
Wo ist sie? – In der Schule.

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Grammar Content

Declension – That is important to know

Little things that make learning easier

• If plural nouns do NOT end in – s or – n, they get the ending – n.

For example:
die Bilder – den Bildern
die Filme – den Filmen
BUT! die Omas– den Omas
BUT! die Frauen – den Frauen 

• Adjectives in the dative form after the definite article and the indefinite article receive the suffix -(e)n.

For example:
dem schönen alten Bild
dem neuen Film

• The indefinite article, possessive pronouns and the negation kein have the same ending in the dative case as the definite article.

For example:
einem alten Bild
keinem neuen Film
meinem liebenTante

• If there is no article in front of the adjective in the dative case, then the adjective gets the suffix of the definite article.

For example:
seinem Vater
kalter Suppe

Article and Adjective in the dative case

Pronouns in the dative case

Object in the dative case/ Indirect object

Some verbs require only a dative object, such as the verbs: helfen (help), gefallen(like), sagen (say),  schmecken (taste), antworten (answer), glauben (believe), gratulieren (congratulate), gelingen (succeed), danken (thank), schmecken (taste), absagen (cancel), gefallen (appeal), vertrauen(trust), gehören(belong), begegnen(meet), zustimmen(agree), folgen(follow), sich nähern(approach), schreiben(write), sich anpassen(adapt), beibringen(teach), mitteilen(communicate), wehtun(hurt), zuhören(listen), zustimmen(consent)

For example:
Ich danke Ihnen. – Hvala Vam.
Das Haus gehört uns. – Kuća pripada nama.

With some verbs, the dative can be omitted, such as: kaufen, bringen, versprechen, …
For example:
Ich habe (mir) ein neues Auto gekauft.
Kannst du (mir) bitte ein Glas Wasser bringen.

Dative and accusative object

A large number of verbs simultaneously require an object in the dative and accusative cases, such as: anbieten (offer), beantworten (answer), beibringen (teach), bestellen (order), beweisen (prove), bringen (bring), empfehlen (recommend), erklären (explain), erlauben (allow), erzählen (tell), geben (give), gefallen
(like), glauben (believe), kaufen (buy), kochen (cook), leihen (borrow), machen (make), mitteilen (announce), nennen (name), sagen (say), schicken (send), schreiben (write), schenken (give as a present), senden (send), stehlen (seal), überlassen (surrender), verkaufen (sell), versprechen (promise), wegnehmen (take away), wünschen (wish), zeigen (show) ..

For example:
Sie hat ihrem Vater einen Brief geschickt. – She has sent a letter to her father.
Er schenkt mir das Buch. – He gives me the book as a present.

The object in the dative case is used to mark a PERSON, and the object in the accusative case is used to mark a THING.

Order of objects in a sentence

The SUBJECT performs an action on the OBJECT in the ACCUSATIVE and it refers everything to the OBJECT in the DATIVE.

For example:
Mein Vater hat mir Geld geschickt.

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Grammar Contents

Prepositions requiring dative case

Prepositions requiring dative  are: aus, bei, gegenüber, mit, nach, seit, von, zu.

For example:
Sie wohnt noch immer bei ihren Eltern.
Er spricht mit seiner Mutter.
Ich gehe zu meiner Oma.

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