People sometimes say that it’s relatively easy to become ‘quite good’ at English and nearly impossible to become fluent – largely because the rules are comparatively straightforward, but they’re almost never followed.
German is the opposite. The rules are a nightmare at first but once you’ve mastered them, there are fewer exceptions to trip you up.
This is one good reason to keep persevering in the early stages, when it often seems impossible to construct even a simple sentence in German.
The dative, one of four German cases, provides a good case in point.
Let's imagine you want to describe giving something to someone in German. You might use a simple sentence like “I give the man the book.”
“The man” is der Mann and “the book” is das Buch in German – so a beginning learner could logically arrive at the sentence, Ich gebe der Mann das Buch.
But, no. It turns out that when “the man” is an indirect object (as in this sentence) he needs to be transformed into the dative, as follows:
Ich gebe dem Mann das Buch.
It’s worth pointing out that das Buch has also changed, even though it doesn’t appear to have done so.
“The book” is the direct object in the sentence, which means it takes the accusative, which – confusingly – is also das Buch in German.
READ ALSO: German grammar tips - The curious case of the 'accusative'
What is the dative case and why is it important?
The dative case in German identifies the indirect object of a sentence – the person or thing receiving the action indirectly. It helps clarify to whom or for whom something is done, or where something is situated.
In the example above, “the book” is the direct object because it’s the thing being given.
“The man” is the indirect object because he’s the person receiving the book.
In order to tell the difference between the direct and the indirect object, try asking yourself a couple of questions.
If your question begins with “what” (was) or “who” (wer, wen), your answer is probably the direct object.
- What was given? (Was wurde gegeben?)
- Who was kissed? (Wer wurde geküsst?)
READ ALSO: German word of the day - Toi, toi, toi
If your question begins with “whom”, your answer is probably the indirect object.
- To whom was the book given? (Wem wurde das Buch gegeben?)
Another good tip is that the indirect object (dative) typically appears before the direct object (accusative) in a German sentence. But note that this can change when the speaker wants to shift the emphasis.
How is the dative formed?
When the indirect object is masculine, the article changes from der to dem, as in dem Mann.
Ich gebe dem Mann das Buch – I give the man the book.
When the indirect object is feminine, die becomes der, e.g., der Frau.
Er schenkt der Frau Blumen – He gives the woman flowers.
When neuter, das changes to dem, for example dem Kind.
Wir erzählen dem Kind eine Geschichte – We tell the child a story.
READ ALSO: The words German estate agents use when they want to rip you off
In the plural, die changes to den, and nouns often receive an added -n or -en, e.g., den Kindern.
Die Lehrerin erklärt den Kindern die Aufgabe – The teacher explains the task to the children.
Using the dative case with verbs and prepositions
Certain verbs always require the dative, especially those implying giving, helping or communicating with someone, for example erzählen (to explain), helfen (to help) and danken (to thank).
Kannst du mir helfen? – Can you help me? (mir is used instead of mich, which is accusative)
Ich danke dir für deine Hilfe – I thank you for your help (dir instead of dich, which is accusative)
And, in addition, certain prepositions always take the dative, such as:
- aus (out of): Er kommt aus dem Haus – He comes out of the house.
- bei (by/at): Ich bin bei meiner Freundin – I am at my [female] friend’s place.
- mit (with): Sie fährt mit dem Auto – She drives with the car.
READ ALSO: German grammar tips - How to say ‘you’ in German without sounding rude
- nach (to/after): Wir gehen nach dem Essen spazieren – We go for an after-meal walk.
- seit (since): Ich wohne seit einem Jahr in Berlin – I have lived in Berlin for a year.
- von (from/of): Das Geschenk ist von meinem Bruder – The gift is from my brother.
- zu (to/at): Ich gehe zu dem Arzt – I am going to the doctor.
Practice makes perfect
To begin practicing the dative case, you can try using sentences that describe locations -- like Die Lampe steht auf dem Tisch (The lamp is on the table) -- or that involve helping someone.
The dative case is everywhere once you start looking for it, and getting comfortable with it is a necessary step toward more fluent and natural German communication.
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