Take a look
- Ich gebe dem Kind einen Apfel.I give the child an apple.
- Er hilft der Frau.He helps the woman.
- Wir danken den Lehrern.We thank the teachers.
- Sie schreibt ihrem Freund einen Brief.She is writing her boyfriend a letter.
The rule
You already know the accusative, which often marks what an action directly affects. The dative often shows who receives something or gets help. In Sie gibt ihm das Buch, das Buch is the thing and ihm is the receiver. The articles become dem, der, dem and den in the plural. Notice pronouns such as mir and ihm as well. Learn which additions each verb requires.
Remember: Ask who receives something: wem? mir, ihm, dem Kind.
Goes with lesson 9, 12, 30 of the course.
What differs for you
English can mark a recipient with to or by word order, so the idea behind “Sie gibt ihm das Buch” is familiar. German also changes the form of the recipient: him in English does not tell you which German pronoun or article to choose. Learn “ihm” for the recipient here and “dem Mann” as the matching masculine article form.
The forms
| Genus | bestimmt | unbestimmt |
|---|---|---|
| m | dem | einem |
| f | der | einer |
| n | dem | einem |
| Plural | den | — |
Common mistakes
- *Sie gibt ihn das Buch. → Sie gibt ihm das Buch.
- *Kannst du mich bitte helfen? → Kannst du mir bitte helfen?
Quick check
- Ich gebe ___ Mann das Buch.Choose the correct article.
- der
- den
- dem
- des
Answer
dem — Masculine dative: der → dem - Sie hilft ___ Kindern. (plural)Insert the correct article.
Answer
den — Dative plural: den + noun with -n - Er fährt ___ dem Bus zur Arbeit.Choose the correct preposition.
- mit
- für
- durch
- gegen
Answer
mit — Means of transport → mit + dative - Das Buch gehört die Lehrerin.Correct the mistake.
Answer
Das Buch gehört der Lehrerin. — gehören + dative: die → der - Ich komme aus ___ Schweiz.Insert the correct form.
Answer
der — aus + dative: die Schweiz → der Schweiz - Er gibt ___ Freundin ein Geschenk.Choose the correct form.
- seine
- seiner
- seinem
- seinen
Answer
seiner — Possessive feminine dative: seine → seiner
The same exercises come back in the course — there Langula remembers what you know and asks again at the right moment. Learn German free →
Terms
- Dative
- The form for someone who receives something or gets help: I give him a book.
- Indirect object
- Often the person who receives something or gets help: I help the child.
- Case
- The form of a word can show its role: he sees her; she sees him.
Cases
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