A Comprehensive Guide to the German Dative Case

Learning German is no easy feat. In addition to mastering pronunciation and learning all the different nouns, verbs, and adjectives, you also have to adapt to a unique grammatical style that’s vastly different from the English language. Among the essential grammatical concepts to grasp are the German cases. This includes the German dative case, alongside the nominative case, accusative case, and genitive case. If you’re already lost, don’t worry. Here, we provide a comprehensive guide to understanding the German dative case, along with plenty of examples to help.

Important Information on the Nominative Case

The nominative case is used to identify or describe the subject of a sentence and is important to understand before you start exploring the dative case in German. Remember, in German, every noun has a gender, which is either masculine, feminine, or neutral. This means instead of saying “the” like in English, you will need to say either der, die, or das. Here are a few examples:

• Der/ein (masculine): Der Lehrer (the teacher)
• Die/eine (feminine): Die Blume (the flower)
• Das/ein (neuter): Das Buch (the book)
• Die (plural): Die Lehrer (the teachers)

As a note, all nouns take the nominative case “die” when they become plural, and the spelling may change slightly based on the noun’s ending. Aside from that, the nominative case doesn’t change when used in a sentence. This allows you to identify the subject, which is essential when you start to form more complex sentences. Some basic examples are as follows:

Der Lehrer liest ein Buch. (The teacher is reading a book.) —"Der Lehrer" is in the nominative case, serving as the subject performing the action (liest ein Buch).

Die Blume blüht. (The flower is blooming.) — "Die Blume" is in the nominative case, acting as the subject of the sentence. It is the item doing the “blooming.”

Understanding Basic Sentence Structure

A basic sentence consists of three parts: the subject (who/what does the action), the verb (the action being done), and the direct object (who/what is being affected by the action). However, indirect objects are also commonly used, especially as sentences get more complex. An indirect object is who/what is kind of affected by the action without being the primary object. Let’s look at a sentence in German to better understand this:

Der Lehrer gibt dem Schüler das Buch. The teacher gives the student a book.

To break it down:

• Subject: Der Lehrer
• Verb: gibt
• Direct object: das Buch
• Indirect object: dem Schüler

So, why is it “dem Schüler” instead of “der Schüler?” This is because the indirect object is in the German dative case!

Transitioning to the Dative Case in German

The dative case in German is used to highlight the indirect object of a sentence. It answers the questions Wem? And Was? (Whom? and What?). It’s the part of the sentence that follows “to the” or “to a.” Once you identify the indirect object, you can quickly apply the German dative case. Alternatively, the dative case in German can help you identify the indirect object. If this is making your head spin, don’t worry. Memorizing German words will help, but the best way to grow your confidence is to download Tandem and practice speaking with a native speaker.

Now, this is where things get a little tricky. The dative case changes the “the” that precedes a noun. Let’s compare the nominative and dative cases in the chart below to better understand how to write each:

So, based on our German nouns above, the definite articles change as follows in the dative case:

• Dem (masculine): Dem Lehrer (to the teacher)
• Der (feminine): Der Blume (to the flower)
• Dem (neuter): Dem Buch (to the book)
• Den (plural): Den Lehrern (to the teachers)

First, you need to identify each part of the sentence and then write them according to their respective cases. This can sound a bit complicated, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes more manageable. Just try to be patient with yourself—the German dative case can be hard for everyone! Here are some examples to help you practice:

Der Mann (subject) gibt (verb) dem Hund (indirect object) einen Knochen (direct object).

• The man gives a bone to the dog.

Die Kinder (subject) sagan (verb) dem Lehrer (indirect object) “Danke” (direct object).

• The children say “Thank You” to the teacher.

Wir (subject) erzählen (verb) dem Arzt (indirect object) von unseren Symptomen (direct object).

• The parents buy a gift for the child.

When to Use the German Dative Cases

Although you now know how to answer, “What is the dative case in German,” mastering when to use it can take some practice. In addition to using it in its most basic form to identify an indirect object, you’ll also use the dative case with certain prepositions, when referring to locations or positions, with specific German verbs, and in some phrases.

Using the German Dative Case with Prepositions

The dative case will always follow certain prepositions, so the best way to learn this is to memorize them and practice! These prepositions are:

aus (from/out of)

Example: Er kommt aus dem Haus. (He comes from the house.)

bei (at/near)

Example: Ich bin bei meiner Oma. (I am at my grandma's.)

gegenüber (across from)

Example: Das Café ist gegenüber dem Bahnhof. (The café is across from the train station.)

mit (with)

Example: Ich gehe mit meinen Freunden. (I am going with my friends.)

nach (after/to)

Example: Wir gehen nach der Schule ins Kino. (We are going to the cinema after school.)

seit (since/for)

Example: Ich lebe seit einem Jahr in Deutschland. (I have been living in Germany for a year.)

von (from)

Example: Das Geschenk ist von meinen Eltern. (The gift is from my parents.)

zu (to)

Example: Wir gehen zu den Nachbarn. (We are going to the neighbors.)

Using the German Dative Case with Locations or Positions

The German dative case is also used with certain spatial relationships for location or position to answer the question Wo? (Where?).

an (at/on)

Example: Das Bild hängt an der Wand. (The picture hangs on the wall.)

auf (on)

Example: Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. (The book is on the table.)

neben (next to/beside)

Example: Der Stift liegt neben dem Notizbuch. (The pen is next to the notebook.)

zwischen (between)

Example: Die Blumen stehen zwischen den Büchern. (The flowers are between the books.)

vor (in front of/before)

Example: Das Auto steht vor dem Haus. (The car is in front of the house.)

hinter (behind)

Example: Der Hund versteckt sich hinter dem Sofa. (The dog is hiding behind the sofa.)

über (above/over)

Example: Die Lampe hängt über dem Tisch. (The lamp is hanging above the table.)

unter (under/below)

Example: Die Schuhe stehen unter dem Bett. (The shoes are under the bed.)

in (in)

Example: Der Schlüssel liegt in der Schublade. (The key is in the drawer.)

Using the German Dative Case with German Verbs

There are also a few verbs that are intrinsically tied to the dative case. If you see these verbs, it means that the following noun will always take the dative form.

helfen (to help)

Example: Ich helfe dir. (I am helping you.)

geben (to give)

Example: Er gibt mir das Buch. (He gives me the book.)

sagen (to say/tell)

Example: Sie sagt dem Lehrer die Antwort. (She tells the teacher the answer.)

zeigen (to show)

Example: Kannst du mir das Bild zeigen? (Can you show me the picture?)

schicken (to send)

Example: Wir schicken den Eltern eine Karte. (We send the parents a card.)

antworten (to answer)

Example: Der Schüler antwortet dem Lehrer. (The student answers the teacher.)

gehören (to belong)

Example: Das Buch gehört der Bibliothek. (The book belongs to the library.)

folgen (to follow)

Example: Die Kinder folgen dem Lehrer. (The children follow the teacher.)

passen (to fit)

Example: Die Jacke passt dem Kind perfekt. (The jacket fits the child perfectly.)

danken (to thank)

Example: Wir danken Ihnen für die Hilfe. (We thank you for the help.)

erzählen (to tell/narrate)

Example: Die Oma erzählt den Enkeln eine Geschichte. (Grandma tells the grandchildren a story.)

glauben (to believe)

Example: Ich glaube dem Arzt. (I believe the doctor.)

versprechen (to promise)

Example: Der Mann verspricht der Frau ein Geschenk. (The man promises the woman a gift.)

zuhören (to listen to)

Example: Die Kinder hören dem Lehrer aufmerksam zu. (The children listen attentively to the teacher.)

zusagen (to promise/to agree)

Example: Er sagt dem Chef zu. (He agrees with the boss.)

Phrases That Always Use the German Dative Phrase

Finally, you’ll want to memorize a few of the most common German phrases that will always take the dative case. These include things like:

• Es tut mir leid. (I am sorry.)
• Es geht mir gut. (I am doing well.)
• Ich habe Hunger/Durst. (I am hungry/thirsty.)
• Mir ist kalt/warm. (I am cold/hot.)
• Es fällt mir ein. (It comes to me/I remember.)
• Es gefällt mir. (I like it.)
• Das gehört mir. (That belongs to me.)
• Es steht mir gut. (It looks good on me.)
• Das geht dir nichts an. (That's none of your business.)
• Es wird Ihnen gefallen. (You will like it.)

German adjective endings are also closely paired with the dative case, but that’s a whole different topic! Hopefully, you have a better understanding of the German dative case to help you start forming sentences and communicating. Keep in mind that many people struggle with German at first, but with regular practice and real-life conversations, you’ll get better and better every day. To help, download Tandem today.

Tandem offers a unique language learning experience that will help you deepen your understanding and improve your German pronunciation while learning to apply grammar rules in real conversations. All you need to do is download the app, sign up, and find a native speaker of your target language. Once you match, you’ll begin communicating through language exchange and one-on-one teaching. To join our worldwide community, sign up for Tandem today!