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German grammar lessons › Level A1 › The four German cases

The dative: dem, der, den

The dative marks the person something is given to, and follows dative prepositions.

Part of the free A1 German course. Press the speaker next to an example to hear it.

The third case

In I give the man the money, the money is the direct object (accusative) and the man is the indirect object: the person who receives it. German puts the receiver in the dative.

The dative also follows the prepositions aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu (Prepositions with the dative: aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu).

masculinefeminineneuterplural
nominativeder / eindie / einedas / eindie / –
accusativeden / einendie / einedas / eindie / –
dativedem / einemder / einerdem / einemden … -n / – … -n

Kein and the possessives take the same endings: keinem, meiner, unserem, ihren.

The plural adds -n

In the dative plural, the noun itself also gets -n: die Kinder → den Kindern. Plurals that already end in -n, and plurals in -s, don't change: den Frauen, den Autos.

  • Ich gebe dem Mann das Geld.I give the man the money.
  • Lena schenkt ihrer Mutter Blumen.Lena gives her mother flowers.
  • Wir fahren mit dem Auto.We're going by car.
  • Der Lehrer hilft den Kindern.The teacher helps the children.
  • Jonas zeigt einer Freundin die Stadt.Jonas is showing a friend around the city.
  • Ich wohne bei einer Familie.I'm staying with a family.
  • Das Buch gehört dem Lehrer.The book belongs to the teacher.
  • Er spielt mit seinen Freunden Fußball.He plays football with his friends.

The question word for the dative is wem? (to whom?): Wem gibst du das Buch? Dem Lehrer.

Verbs with a receiver

geben, schenken, zeigen, bringen, schreiben, erklären often have a person in the dative and a thing in the accusative. Two nouns: the dative usually comes first.

Common mistakes

  • mit die Kinder → mit den Kindern. Dative plural: den, and the noun adds -n.
  • Ich gebe den Mann das Buch. → Ich gebe dem Mann das Buch. The receiver is dative.
  • mit der Bus → mit dem Bus. Der Bus is masculine: dem.
  • Feminine der in the dative looks like the masculine nominative: mit der Frau is correct.

Practice

  1. Ich schreibe _____ Lehrerin eine E-Mail.
    I'm writing the teacher an email.
    Show the answer

    der

  2. Wir helfen _____ Kind.
    We're helping the child.
    Show the answer

    dem

  3. Ich fahre mit _____ Bus.
    I'm going by bus.
    Options: dem · der · den
    Show the answer

    dem — der Bus is masculine: mit dem.

  4. Er gibt _____ Kindern Schokolade.
    He gives the children chocolate.
    Show the answer

    den

In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days, until you've answered it correctly on three separate days.
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