German grammar · Elementary (A2)
The dative case
The dative case: giving something to someone, prepositions like mit and zu, and verbs like helfen and gefallen.
The indirect object
The dative is the case for the indirect object, usually the person who receives something or gets something done for them. In English you can often add “to” or “for”: I give the child a book = I give a book to the child.
In the dative, all articles change. The plural noun also adds -n if it can.
| Case | masculine | feminine | neuter | plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | / | / | / | / – |
| accusative | / | / | / | / – |
| dative | / | / | / | / – (noun + -n) |
- Ich gebe dem Kind ein Buch.I give the child a book.
- Sie schenkt ihrer Mutter Blumen.She's giving her mother flowers.
- Er zeigt den Gästen das Zimmer.He shows the guests the room.
Prepositions with the dative
These prepositions are always followed by the dative: (from, out of), (at, near, at someone's place), (with, by), (after, to a city or country), (since, for), (from, of) and (to).
Some are usually joined with the article: becomes , becomes , becomes , and becomes .
- Ich fahre mit dem Bus zur Arbeit.I go to work by bus.
- Sie wohnt noch bei ihren Eltern.She still lives with her parents.
- Ich komme gerade vom Arzt.I've just come from the doctor's.
- Wir lernen seit einem Jahr Deutsch.We've been learning German for a year.
Where or where to? In, an, auf …
Some prepositions, such as , and , take the dative when they describe where something is () and the accusative when they describe movement to a place ().
is shortened to , to , and to .
| Question | Case | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (where?) | dative | (I'm at the cinema.) |
| (where to?) | accusative | (I'm going to the cinema.) |
| (where?) | dative | (The book is on the table.) |
| (where to?) | accusative | (I put the book on the table.) |
Verbs with the dative
A few common verbs take a dative object where English uses a direct object. Learn them as phrases: (to help), (to thank), (to belong to), (to please, to be liked) and (to taste good).
- Kann ich Ihnen helfen?Can I help you?
- Das Kleid gefällt mir.I like the dress.
- Wem gehört der Schlüssel?Who does the key belong to?
- Hat es Ihnen geschmeckt?Did you enjoy your meal?