Dative (to whom, for whom)
mir, dir, dem: marking the receiver, the helper, the location.
What it is
The dative marks the person or thing something is given TO, done FOR, or located AT. In "Er gibt ihr das Brot", she receives the bread, so she stands in the dative. Unlike the accusative, EVERY gender changes its article here.
| Gender | Subject form | Dative form |
|---|---|---|
| masculine (der) | der / ein | dem / einem |
| feminine (die) | die / eine | der / einer |
| neuter (das) | das / ein | dem / einem |
| plural (die) | die | den (+n on the noun) |
Er gibt ihr das Brot.
He gives her the bread.
Das Buch gehört mir.
The book belongs to me.
Verbs and little words that force the dative
A few very common verbs always take dative: helfen, danken, gehören, gefallen. And some prepositions always do too: mit, nach, bei, von, zu, aus. After any of these, reach for mir/dir/ihm/ihr or dem/der/einem.
Ich helfe dir.
I am helping you.
Sie fährt mit dem Bus.
She goes by bus.
Wir danken ihnen.
We thank them.
Check yourself
- "Sie fährt mit ___ Bus." (der Bus)
- Which verb always takes the dative?
- "Das Buch gehört ___." (to me)
- Feminine "die" becomes what in the dative?