Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 175 views

    The Dative Case

    Uploaded by

    Popliteum
    The document discusses the dative case in German. It explains that the dative case is used for indirect objects and with certain dative verbs like "thank", "answer", and "help". It also notes that the dative case changes the definite and indefinite articles. In the dative plural, all nouns, articles, and pronouns end in -n. Some masculine nouns add -en or -n in all cases except the nominative.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    The Dative Case

    Uploaded by

    Popliteum
    175 views3 pages
    The document discusses the dative case in German. It explains that the dative case is used for indirect objects and with certain dative verbs like "thank", "answer", and "help". It also notes that the dative case changes the definite and indefinite articles. In the dative plural, all nouns, articles, and pronouns end in -n. Some masculine nouns add -en or -n in all cases except the nominative.

    Original Description:

    Dative

    Original Title

    Dative

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The document discusses the dative case in German. It explains that the dative case is used for indirect objects and with certain dative verbs like "thank", "answer", and "help". It also notes that the dative case changes the definite and indefinite articles. In the dative plural, all nouns, articles, and pronouns end in -n. Some masculine nouns add -en or -n in all cases except the nominative.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    175 views3 pages

    The Dative Case

    Uploaded by

    Popliteum
    The document discusses the dative case in German. It explains that the dative case is used for indirect objects and with certain dative verbs like "thank", "answer", and "help". It also notes that the dative case changes the definite and indefinite articles. In the dative plural, all nouns, articles, and pronouns end in -n. Some masculine nouns add -en or -n in all cases except the nominative.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 3

    The Dative Case

    Remember the Accusative?


    You already saw that the accusative case can be used in different ways.

    It can signify the object of a sentence:

    Der Hund frisst den Vogel. (The dog is eating the bird.)

    This is called the direct object (or accusative object).

    It can also be used in combination with some prepositions:

    Sie geht ohne den Hund. (She walks without the dog.)
    Er hat einen Mantel ohne Knöpfe. (He has a coat without buttons.)

    Dative object

    The dative case also has a range of different functions. In this lesson, you learn to use it with the
    indirect object. This is also called the dative object.

    The indirect object in a sentence is the receiver of the direct (accusative) object.

    For example, Frau is the indirect (dative) object in

    Das Mädchen gibt einer Frau den Apfel. (A girl gives the apple to a woman.)

    You can think about it as "the other person involved" in a transaction.

    Ich gebe dem Mann einen Apfel. (I give the man an apple.)
    Sie zeigt dem Kind den Hund. (She shows the child the dog.)

    As a rule the dative object comes before the accusative object, if none of these objects is a
    pronoun (things are a little more complicated if pronouns come into play):

    Dative verbs

    The dative is also used for certain dative verbs such as danken (to thank) and antworten (to
    answer), or helfen (to help):
    Ich danke dem Kind. (I thank the child.)
    Ich helfe der Frau. (I help the woman.)
    Ich antworte meinem Bruder. (I answer my brother.)

    These verbs don't have an accusative object.

    Dative articles

    Note that the dative changes all articles for the words.

    For example, die Katze is a feminine noun. However, the article in dative will be der. This might
    look like the masculine article. But in the context of a sentence, there will never be any
    confusion between the two, as long as you know your genders. This is one reason why it's so
    important to know the gender of a word.

    Definite Nominative Accusative Dative


    Masculine Der Den Dem
    Neuter Das Das Dem
    Feminine Die Die Der
    Plural Die Die Den

    Indefinite Nominative Accusative Dative


    Masculine Ein Einen Einem
    Neuter Ein Ein Einem
    Feminine Eine Eine Einer
    Plural Eine Eine Einen

    Notice how masculine and neuter look the same in Dative (just like they look the same for
    Nominative indefinite articles).

    Plural Nouns in Dative

    Here's a great rule:

    Plural Dative: Everything gets an -n


    You just saw that articles (also pronouns etc.) get an -n ending in dative plural.

    Later, you will learn that the German ending system for adjectives is a bit complicated. However,
    in dative plural, you just add an -n.

    It goes so far that even plural forms of nouns get an extra -n in the Dative.

    Er hat drei Hunde. Er spielt mit drei Hunden. (He plays with three dogs.)

    Die Computer sind alt. Ich antworte den Computern. (I answer the computers.)

    There are two "exceptions":

    If the plural already end in -n, you're set.

    If the plural ends in -s, there's also no change.

    Even more -n

    Some masculine nouns add an -en or -n ending in the dative and in all other cases besides the
    nominative. For example in the dative, it is dem Jungen (the boy).

    If you want to look these up, the term for them is "n-Declension".

    You might also like