Ich gebe dem Mann das Buch.
English: I give the man the book.
- Language
- German
- Level
- A2
- Unit
- Fälle
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
The dative is a German case used to show the indirect object of a sentence, often answering the question 'to whom?' or 'for whom?'. It changes the articles and sometimes the endings of nouns.
When to use it
Use the dative case in German to indicate the indirect object (the person or thing receiving something), after certain prepositions (like 'mit', 'zu', 'bei', 'nach', 'aus', 'von', 'seit'), and after some verbs that require the dative.
Key forms
- dem Mann
- der Frau
- dem Kind
- den Kindern
Examples
Sie hilft der Frau.
English: She helps the woman.
Wir fahren mit dem Auto.
English: We go by car.
Das Kind spielt mit den Kindern.
English: The child plays with the children.
Tips
- Remember: the definite articles change in the dative (der → dem, die → der, das → dem, die (plural) → den).
- After some verbs like 'helfen', always use the dative.
- Pay attention to prepositions that always take the dative, like 'mit', 'zu', 'bei'.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some prepositions can take either dative or accusative, depending on movement or position (e.g., 'in', 'an', 'auf').