Many German speakers think that, Germandative case sounds confusing and terrifying. But, it’s not, as there are several ways to tackle them by thinking out of the box and eventually you can master them. But how? For that, practice is the key, and to begin the practice, you have to first understand what is the dative case in German. Thus, in this blog, we have shared the dative case’s overview, when to use it, sentence structure, challenges, and tips. So, grab a pen and paper to note down important points related to the dative case in German.
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The dative case in German is used to specify the indirect object present in the sentence, by answering the questions “for whom” or “to whom”. Hence, it holds both the person and things that are directly impacted by the direct object or affected by the action of the verb. It is the third German case known as Wem-Fall (whom-case). Moreover, it is often used with a particular specific preposition and verb.
The dative case is the crucial part of German grammar, helping to clearly articulate the relationships between recipients, beneficiaries, and actions in a sentence. Here are some of the examples of Dative Case in German which will help you to understand this case effectively.
"Ich gebe dem Mann das Buch."- “I give the man the book.”
Here, in the example, “dem Mann” is a dative case, specifying who gets the book.
"Er spricht mit dem Briefträger." – “He is speaking with the mailman”
In this instance, “mit dem Briefträger” is a dative prepositional phrase, signifying with whom he’s speaking.
We hope that through this overview and example, you may get your answer to what is the dative case in German. Through understanding the basic sentence structure formation, you can get a clearer image of how to form a statement by using the dative case. So, look into the next section to explore this.
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A basic sentence comprises three parts: subject + verb+ direct object. The indirect object is often used when the sentences get more complex. However, in German, both dative and accusative objects in a sentence, the dative object usually leads the accusative object. But in the statement, if the object of the accusative is a pronoun, then it will come first. Thus, a basic rule is followed in the dative case in German to form a sentence that is
“Subject + Verb + Indirect Object (Dative) + Direct Object (Accusative)”.
This is how the basic sentence is formed in the German language by using the dative case. Later it gets change depending on gender. Hence, this is how you have to create dative German statements, but do you know when to use dative case in German? Identify this in the next section.
The German dative case is used to specify the indirect object in a sentence by giving answers to “for whom” and “to whom” question types. Additionally, it identifies the object of some verbs and prepositions that often use the dative, such as
These are the places where the dative case is used. So, let’s explore how you can use the German DativeCase in different ways through the following section.
The dative case in German is most commonly used when you are referring indirect object in a sentence. Thus, the indirect object is generally a phrase or noun that receives the direct object. Additionally, in English, this is denoted by the preposition used, “for” or “to”. For instance:
Ich gebe meiner Mutter Blumen. (I give flowers to my mother.)
There are some certain prepositions in German that require their object to be in the dative case in the sentences. It is important to know which prepositions, is followed by which case, as it gets change when used with different German cases. There are multiple prepositions used with the Dative Case in German, such as.
Remember that all of these prepositions are always used with the dative case in German. However, you have to memorise them so that you don’t have to juggle with the complex sentences while using the dative case.
When you talk about the location or position, you have to use the dative case German. However, when you use direction, you can’t use dative; in that place, the accusative Case in German will be used. Thus, there are a handful of prepositions that can be used with the accusative and dative case, depending on the situation.
These prepositions are used while talking about the location or direction. Remember the simple rule for using the right preposition with the dative case.
Here are the examples of German dative case with location/position vs. direction.
Dative: Ich bin in der Stadt. (I am in the city.)
"unter dem Tisch" (under the table)
Accusative: Ich gehe in die Stadt. (I am going to the city.)
"unter den Baum" (underneath the tree)
Certain German verbs do not require a preposition in order to assume the dative case. Thus, no matter what verb, always take a direct dative object. Below, we have mentioned some of the common dative verbs.
Have a look at the examples mentioned below.
Lastly, in German, there are many phrases that use the Dative Case. It uses several German grammar rules and other exceptions. In German, some sentences may sound weird in English, but, it actually spoken differently in German. Here is an example to make you understand.
Mir ist kalt- I’m cold/ it is cold to me.
When telling how you are feeling in German, you often have to use the dative case in German. In English, you can say “I’m bored”, however, in German, you have to say ‘Mir ist langweilig.’ (It is boring to me.)
Another example of a certain phrase that can blow your mind -
Ich wasche mir die Hände - I am washing my hands.
When you are talking about your body parts in German, you have to make adjustments in the original sentence. So in the German language, you can’t speak "I'm washing my hands" rather than you have to say I'm washing the hands to me/myself. In English language, this sentence doesn’t make a lot of sense, but in German does, as this way it is considered the correct way to pronounce this phrase.
This is the answer to when to use dative case in German. Using the right verb and preposition with the German dative case is important to make meaningful sentences. There are more ways in which dative German cases are used. Let’s explore them one by one from nest sections.
You get to know how the Dative Case in German is used, now it’s time to know how the dative case in German is formed. It is created by using various grammar rules, such as “articles”. It is used to mark direct and indirect objects of certain prepositions, which change according to the noun, gender and case. It has two types, definite and indefinite, that change the cases depending on the gender or case. Let’s understand them from the next two sections.
Definite articles are used to identify a particular noun in a sentence. In German, definite article is considered to be “the” which changes according to the gender. Thus, it converts to "dem" (masculine/neuter), "der" (feminine), and "den" (plural). Have a look at the definite Dative Case German Chart below.
The indefinite articles are an /a used before the noun that it is general or there is no identified is given or mentioned. In German indefinite articles are changed depending to the gender that is "einem" (masculine/neuter) and "einer" (feminine). Here is the Dative Case German Chart that will help you to understand how it changes with different gender in German cases.
This is all about the definite articles and their two types and how it is used with the dative case German. When using definite articles, use dative case properly according to the gender. Now let’s explore the dative pronouns.
Just like nouns change their article in various cases in German, dative pronouns also change their forms. It is used to replace the noun in the German dative case. The German dative noun is used to signify the indirect object in sentences with specific adjectives, prepositions, and verbs. Thus, to use the correct pronoun, you must know which “person” your noun is talking about. Look at this table to know more in detail.
Here is an example of the dative pronouns
“Ich helfe ihr” - “I help her”: “ihr” is the dative German pronouns and also the indirect object in the statement.
The dative is an adjective used to identify the noun in the dative case. Regardless of the gender of the noun or whether an article is present, dative adjectives in German always finish with “-en”. Moreover, this relates to masculine, feminine, neuter, and plural nouns. Thus, like this, it shows the indirect object of a verb in a sentence.
For example:
Ich schenke dem netten Mann ein Buch - I give the nice man a book.
Here, netten is the dative adjective nett (nice).
Wir danken unseren guten Freunden - We thank our good friends
In this example, “guten” is the dative adjective “gut” (good).
We hope that this detailed explanation of when to use the dative case in German with different parts of grammar. Use the examples to understand this in a more detailed way. But while using this, we understand that many speakers face challenges. Thus, in the next section, some common challenges are stated. So, have a look at them.
While using the dative case German, learners often face many challenges. It is considered confusing to understand and use. Thus, we have shared some common challenges that can help you avoid repeating while learning and using this German case.
These are the common challenges that must be kept in mind. However, to improve the skills of using the right dative case German verbs or prepositions, using tips is necessary while practising. So, for that, explore the next section.
Here are some of the tips that will help you when to use dative case in German correctly. So, have a look.
And here we come to the end, speakers who want to become proficient, it is important for them to know all the cases in German, especially the dative case. This case is used to specify the indirect object present in the sentence. This is used differently with verbs and prepositions. However, there are many challenges faced while speakers learn German dative case, but by practising it can be resolute. If you want to learn more about German cases in detail, you can enrol in our German online coaching at Gradding. The tutors here will help you to become proficient in German.
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The Germandative case is used to specify the indirect object present in the sentence, by answering the questions “for whom” or “to whom”. Moreover, it is used when the action of the verb is directed at someone or something.
The dative case mostly specifies the indirect object in any sentence, by answering the question “for whom” or “to whom” the verb’s action is being performed.
Ten common dative verbs in German are
The accusative case indicates the direct object; on the other hand dative case in German specifies the indirect object.
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