In German, some verbs require a specific case. In this lesson, you will learn all about verbs with the dative. I will show you simple examples of which verbs require the dative.
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Dative verbs
Passive with intransitive verbs
Which verbs require an object in the dative?
Word order in a sentence with a dative object
Dative verbs
In German grammar, there are verbs that require a complement in the concrete case. A smaller number of verbs also require a complement in the dative case. The name itself tells us that we need to complete the verb, because it simply cannot stand alone. The complement in the dative case is also called the object in the dative case and represents mostly a living being.
How do we know which verbs require an object in the dative case?
We simply ask the question for the dative: WEM?
DATIVE verbs are intransitive verbs.
For example:
Ich helfe meiner Mutter in der Küche.
Wem hilfst du? – Meiner Mutter.
Passive with intransitive verbs
Transitive verbs can form passive with werden (Werden-Passive), where the accusative becomes the subject. On the other hand, intransitive verbs either form passive with werden but without a subject or they cannot form passive werden at all.
For example:
Ihm wird geholfen.
As you can see there is no subject in the passive sentence.
You can insert the impersonal pronoun es into that sentence if you want.
For example:
Es wird ihm geholfen.
If intransitive verbs can be put into the passive, then the object in the dative case does not change to the passive.
For example:
Active: Wir helfen ihm.
Passive: Ihm wird geholfen.
Passive: Es wird ihm geholfen.
An object in the dative indicates living beings, it can be a noun or a pronoun. It usually indicates the goal of the action or the recipient.
For example:
Ich gratuliere ihm.
Glaubst du mir? Ich danke Ihnen!
Ich vertraue meinem Kollegen nicht.
You must always be careful if a particular verb is with a preposition, then the preposition determines the case.
For example:
Ich schreibe an meine Eltern einen Brief. (accusative)
Ich warte auf den Bus. (accusative)
Er trifft sich mit seinem alten Freund. (dative)
Which verbs require an object in the dative?
Certainly there are not as many of them as verbs with the accusative, but the number of verbs with the dative is not negligible either:
antworten (to answer), glauben (to believe), gratulieren (to congratulate), gelingen (to succeed), danken (to thank ), schmecken (to be delicious), absagen (to cancel), gefallen (to like), vertrauen (to trust someone), gehören (to belong to), begegnen (to meet), zustimmen (to agree), folgen (to follow), sich nähern (to approach), schreiben (to write), sich anpassen (to adapt), beibringen (to teach sth. to sb.), mitteilen (to anounnce), wehtun ( to hurt ), zuhören (to listen), zustimmen (to agree with/to ), …
Have a look at the list of the dative verbs.
For example:
Ich helfe dir.
Die Bluse passt der Frau.
Das Essen schmeckt den Kindern.
Ich vertraue meinen Freunden.
Das passiert mir leider oft.
Du fehlst mir.
Das gehört dem Nachbarn.
Word order in a sentence with an object in the dative case
Declarative sentence
Subject – Verb – Object in the dative
Die Tasche gehört meiner Tante.
An interrogative sentence witha question word
Question word – Verb – Subject
Wem gehört die Tasche?
An interrogative sentence without a question word
Verb – Subject – Object in the dative
Gehört die Tasche deiner Tante?
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