Ultimate Guide To German Dative Case With Real-Life Examples
Denisa from Spring German (one of my side projects) explains the German cases simply:
Now, our plan is to simply explain the dative case for you. Let’s explore its meanings!
1. German cases explained simply
You probably already know that there are 4 German cases:
- Nominative
- Accusative
- Dative
- Genitive
Each of these cases has its own usage. To learn more about the German dative case, it’s important to know the main principles of all the other cases.
The nominative case identifies the subject of the German sentence:
German Sentence | Subject |
---|---|
Der Hund schläft. (The dog sleeps.) | Der Hund (The dog) |
The accusative case marks the direct object.
German Sentence | Direct Object |
---|---|
Ich sehe den Hund. (I see the dog.) | den Hund (the dog – as the direct object) |
The dative case points to the indirect object.
German Sentence | Indirect Object |
---|---|
Ich gebe dem Hund einen Knochen. (I give the dog a bone.) | dem Hund (the dog – as the indirect object; einen Knochen – as the direct object) |
The genitive case expresses possession.
German Sentence | Possession |
---|---|
Das ist das Haus des Mannes. (That is the man’s house.) | des Mannes (the man’s house) |
2. What is the German dative case?
Effortless Answers
The dative case in German is used to express the indirect object of a sentence. It answers the question “to whom” (wem?) or “for whom” (für wen) something is given, shown, or told.
For example, in the sentence “Ich gebe dem Kind einen Ball” (I give the child a ball), “dem Kind” is in the dative case because the ball is being given to the child.
Mastering the dative case is unbelievably important for making accurate and meaningful sentences in German. If you want to learn how to interact or give information about to whom or for whom an action is directed.
3. How to form the dative case in German?
You form the dative case in German by changing the articles, adjectives and sometimes the noun ending to pick up their roles as indirect objects in a German sentences.
Here’s a breakdown of how to form the dative case for definite and indefinite articles as well as possessive pronouns and adjectives.
Definite Articles
Dative = Nominative Article + Dative Ending
- der (masculine) + dem
- die (feminine) + der
- das (neuter) + dem
- die (plural) + den
Examples:
Nominative | Dative |
---|---|
der Mann | dem Mann |
die Frau | der Frau |
das Kind | dem Kind |
die Freunde | den Freunden |
Indefinite Articles
Dative = Nominative Article + Dative Ending
- ein (masculine) + einem
- eine (feminine) + einer
- ein (neuter) + einem
- keine (plural) + keinen
Examples:
Nominative | Dative |
---|---|
ein Mann | einem Mann |
eine Frau | einer Frau |
ein Kind | einem Kind |
keine Freunde | keinen Freunden |
Possessive Pronouns
Dative = Nominative Possessive Pronoun + Dative Ending
- mein (masculine/neuter) + meinem
- meine (feminine) + meiner
- meine (plural) + meinen
Examples:
Nominative | Dative |
---|---|
mein Freund | meinem Freund |
meine Mutter | meiner Mutter |
meine Eltern | meinen Eltern |
Adjective Endings with Definite Articles
Dative = Definite Article + Adjective Root + Dative Adjective Ending
- dem guten Mann
- der guten Frau
- dem guten Kind
- den guten Freunden
Examples:
Nominative | Dative |
---|---|
der gute Mann | dem guten Mann |
die gute Frau | der guten Frau |
das gute Kind | dem guten Kind |
die guten Freunde | den guten Freunden |
Adjective Endings with Indefinite Articles
Dative = Indefinite Article + Adjective Root + Dative Adjective Ending
- einem guten Mann
- einer guten Frau
- einem guten Kind
- keinen guten Freunden
Examples:
Nominative | Dative |
---|---|
ein guter Mann | einem guten Mann |
eine gute Frau | einer guten Frau |
ein gutes Kind | einem guten Kind |
keine guten Freunde | keinen guten Freunden |
Dative Plural Nouns
Dative Plural = Plural Noun + -n/-en if not ending in -n/-s
Examples:
Nominative | Dative |
---|---|
die Kinder | den Kindern |
die Männer | den Männern |
4. Prepositions that use the German dative
Some prepositions require the dative case in German. These prepositions in German are important for the dative case. When they are used in German sentences, they mark that the following noun or pronoun must be in the dative.
Some of the most common prepositions that require the dative case in German (with examples):
German Preposition | Meaning | Example |
---|---|---|
aus | from, out of | Ich komme aus der Stadt. (I come from the city.) |
bei | at, by, near | Er arbeitet bei der Firma. (He works at the company.) |
mit | with | Sie geht mit dem Hund spazieren. (She goes for a walk with the dog.) |
nach | after, to (cities and countries) | Wir fahren nach Berlin. (We are driving to Berlin.) |
seit | since, for (a period of time) | Ich lebe seit einem Jahr hier. (I have been living here for a year.) |
von | from, of, about | Das Geschenk ist von meiner Tante. (The gift is from my aunt.) |
zu | to, at | Ich gehe zu dem Arzt. (I am going to the doctor.) |
You can learn these prepositions together with other words. For example, fahren nach could be considered as a chunk. And using the Conversation Based Chunking method, you can learn them easily. Learn more about the method here:
5. What is the difference between accusative case and dative case in German?
The dative case is quite complicated and there’s a small difference between accusative vs dative.
Prepositions are indicators of this difference.
Prepositions that describe location (where something is) are used with the dative case.
Prepositions that describe direction or movement (where something is going) are used with the accusative case.
Location/Position (Dative Case)
When you are describing where something is located or positioned (static location), you use the dative case.
German Preposition | Meaning | Example |
---|---|---|
aus | from, out of | Ich komme aus der Stadt. (I come from the city.) |
bei | at, by, near | Er arbeitet bei der Firma. (He works at the company.) |
mit | with | Sie geht mit dem Hund spazieren. (She goes for a walk with the dog.) |
nach | after, to (cities and countries) | Wir fahren nach Berlin. (We are driving to Berlin.) |
seit | since, for (a period of time) | Ich lebe seit einem Jahr hier. (I have been living here for a year.) |
von | from, of, about | Das Geschenk ist von meiner Tante. (The gift is from my aunt.) |
zu | to, at | Ich gehe zu dem Arzt. (I am going to the doctor.) |
an | to, at, on (vertical surface) | Das Bild hängt an der Wand. (The picture hangs on the wall.) |
auf | to, on (horizontal surface) | Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. (The book is lying on the table.) |
hinter | behind | Der Garten ist hinter dem Haus. (The garden is behind the house.) |
in | into, in, inside | Wir gehen in die Schule. (We are going into the school.) / Wir sind in der Schule. (We are in the school.) |
neben | next to | Der Stuhl steht neben dem Tisch. (The chair is next to the table.) |
über | over, across, above | Ich springe über den Zaun. (I am jumping over the fence.) / Die Lampe hängt über dem Tisch. (The lamp hangs over the table.) |
unter | under, beneath | Die Katze läuft unter das Bett. (The cat is running under the bed.) / Die Katze schläft unter dem Bett. (The cat sleeps under the bed.) |
vor | in front of | Ich stelle das Auto vor das Haus. (I am placing the car in front of the house.) / Das Auto steht vor dem Haus. (The car is in front of the house.) |
zwischen | between | Ich gehe zwischen die Gebäude. (I am going between the buildings.) / Der Park liegt zwischen den Gebäuden. (The park is between the buildings.) |
Direction/Movement (Accusative Case)
When you are describing the direction of movement (where something is going), you use the accusative case.

The same prepositions can be used, but they signal movement rather than static position.
German Preposition | Meaning | Example |
---|---|---|
aus | from, out of | Ich komme aus der Stadt. (I come from the city.) |
bei | at, by, near | Er arbeitet bei der Firma. (He works at the company.) |
mit | with | Sie geht mit dem Hund spazieren. (She goes for a walk with the dog.) |
nach | after, to (cities and countries) | Wir fahren nach Berlin. (We are driving to Berlin.) |
seit | since, for (a period of time) | Ich lebe seit einem Jahr hier. (I have been living here for a year.) |
von | from, of, about | Das Geschenk ist von meiner Tante. (The gift is from my aunt.) |
zu | to, at | Ich gehe zu dem Arzt. (I am going to the doctor.) |
an | to (a vertical surface) | Ich hänge das Bild an die Wand. (I hang the picture on the wall.) |
auf | to (a horizontal surface) | Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch. (I am placing the book on the table.) |
hinter | behind | Ich gehe hinter das Haus. (I am going behind the house.) |
in | into | Wir gehen in die Schule. (We are going into the school.) |
neben | next to | Ich stelle den Stuhl neben den Tisch. (I am placing the chair next to the table.) |
über | over, across | Ich springe über den Zaun. (I am jumping over the fence.) |
unter | under | Die Katze läuft unter das Bett. (The cat is running under the bed.) |
vor | in front of | Ich stelle das Auto vor das Haus. (I am placing the car in front of the house.) |
zwischen | between | Ich gehe zwischen die Gebäude. (I am going between the buildings.) |
Getting used to the difference between accusative and dative takes some time. You have two ways to go: either you remember the grammar rules, and you keep thinking every time you speak in German, or you learn to use the Conversation Based Chunking method.
6. Use the dative case with dative verbs
There are several common verbs in German that require the dative case. These verbs involve actions or states that affect an indirect object.
Here are some of the most frequently used dative verbs:
German Verb | Meaning | Example |
---|---|---|
helfen | to help | Ich helfe dem Mann. (I help the man.) |
danken | to thank | Sie dankt dem Lehrer. (She thanks the teacher.) |
folgen | to follow | Er folgt dem Auto. (He follows the car.) |
gefallen | to please, to like | Das Buch gefällt mir. (I like the book.) |
gehören | to belong to | Das Haus gehört meinem Freund. (The house belongs to my friend.) |
glauben | to believe | Ich glaube dir. (I believe you.) |
gratulieren | to congratulate | Ich gratuliere dir zum Geburtstag. (I congratulate you on your birthday.) |
passen | to suit, to fit | Der Pullover passt mir. (The sweater fits me.) |
schmecken | to taste (good to someone) | Das Essen schmeckt mir. (I like the taste of the food.) |
vertrauen | to trust | Ich vertraue dir. (I trust you.) |
weh tun | to hurt | Der Kopf tut mir weh. (My head hurts.) |
fehlen | to be missing | Du fehlst mir. (I miss you.) |
antworten | to answer | Er antwortet dem Lehrer. (He answers the teacher.) |
nützen | to be useful to | Das nützt mir nichts. (That is of no use to me.) |
7. German grammar with personal pronouns
German personal pronouns change form depending on the grammatical case being used. This is how they change from nominative to dative:
Personal Pronoun | Dative Form | Example |
---|---|---|
ich | mir | Kannst du mir helfen? (Can you help me?) |
du | dir | Ich gebe dir das Buch. (I give you the book.) |
er | ihm | Sie dankt ihm. (She thanks him.) |
sie (singular) | ihr | Ich habe ihr eine Nachricht geschickt. (I sent her a message.) |
es | ihm | Der Hund gehorcht ihm. (The dog obeys it.) |
wir | uns | Kannst du uns zeigen, wo es ist? (Can you show us where it is?) |
ihr | euch | Ich gebe euch das Geschenk. (I give you the gift.) |
sie (plural) | ihnen | Der Lehrer erklärt es ihnen. (The teacher explains it to them.) |
Sie | Ihnen | Ich danke Ihnen für Ihre Hilfe. (I thank you for your help.) |
8. Master German dative determiners
And we’re still not done yet.
There are German determiners that evoke the usage of the German dative.
In addition to definite and indefinite articles, German uses other determiners that can be used with the dative case.
Here are some common determiners and how they change in the dative case:
Category | Determiner Forms | Example Sentences |
---|---|---|
Demonstrative Pronouns | dieser (masculine) → diesem | Ich gebe diesem Mann ein Buch. (I give this man a book.) |
diese (feminine) → dieser | Sie hilft dieser Frau. (She helps this woman.) | |
dieses (neuter) → diesem | Er vertraut diesem Kind. (He trusts this child.) | |
diese (plural) → diesen | Wir danken diesen Freunden. (We thank these friends.) | |
Possessive Determiners | mein (masculine/neuter) → meinem | Ich gebe meinem Freund ein Geschenk. (I give my friend a gift.) |
meine (feminine) → meiner | Sie hilft meiner Schwester. (She helps my sister.) | |
mein (neuter) → meinem | Das gehört meinem Kind. (That belongs to my child.) | |
meine (plural) → meinen | Wir danken meinen Eltern. (We thank my parents.) | |
Indefinite Pronouns | jedem (each, every) | Er gibt jedem Kind ein Stück Schokolade. (He gives each child a piece of chocolate.) |
manchem (some) | Sie hilft manchem Kollegen. (She helps some colleagues.) | |
einigen (some, a few) | Ich helfe einigen Freunden. (I help some friends.) | |
. | welchem (which) | Mit welchem Auto fährst du? (With which car are you driving?) |
Interrogative Pronouns | wer (who) → wem | Wem hilfst du? (Whom are you helping?) |
was (what) | – | |
Wem gehört das? (To whom does this belong?) | ||
Quantifiers | alle (all) → allen | Ich danke allen Gästen. (I thank all the guests.) |
viele (many) → vielen | Sie hilft vielen Leuten. (She helps many people.) | |
wenige (few) → wenigen | Er vertraut wenigen Freunden. (He trusts few friends.) | |
Negation | kein (masculine/neuter) → keinem | Ich gebe keinem Mann mein Buch. (I give no man my book.) |
keine (feminine) → keiner | Sie hilft keiner Frau. (She helps no woman.) | |
kein (neuter) → keinem | Er vertraut keinem Kind. (He trusts no child.) | |
keine (plural) → keinen | Wir danken keinen Freunden. (We thank no friends.) |
9. Practice the German dative case
Do you want to learn the German dative? Then you have to practice: fill in the blanks with the correct dative article!
This was just a glimpse behind the scenes. If you want to learn more, you can click the button below, and get access to our Full Practice Worksheet Library!
10. Learn more about dative articles, dative adjectives and German dative verbs with Conversation Based Chunking
We already mentioned it, but you can still think about it: learning with the Conversation Based Chunking method will be easier rather than following out German courses.
If you sign up now, you’ll get access to our essential German chunking list, you can practice with our Full Practice Worksheet Library, and you’ll have access to many more!