Der Dativ
You've been using the dative since Lesson 1 - "Wie geht es dir?" and "mit dem Bus" (Lesson 17) are both dative constructions. Today gives that pattern a name and a system, so you can build new dative phrases instead of just recognizing memorized ones.
| Gender | Nominative | Dative |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | der | dem |
| feminine | die | der |
| neuter | das | dem |
Unlike accusative from Lesson 7 (only masculine changed), the dative changes every gender - but it's regular: masculine and neuter always collapse to the same word, dem. Full table including pronouns and prepositions: Reference - Dative Case.
These seven prepositions always take dative, regardless of meaning - memorize them as a set:
Ich fahre mit dem Bus. (masculine der Bus → dem)
Ich komme aus der Schweiz. (feminine die Schweiz → der)
Ich wohne seit einem Jahr hier. (neuter ein Jahr → einem)
| mir | to/for me |
| dir | to/for you (informal) |
| Ihnen | to/for you (formal) |
Können Sie mir helfen? (Lesson 11 - helfen takes a dative object)
1. What's the dative form of "der" (masculine)?
2. What's the dative form of "die" (feminine)?
3. "I'm taking the bus." (der Bus) - Ich fahre mit ______ Bus.
4. Which case does "mit" always trigger?
5. "Can you help me?" - Können Sie ______ helfen?
Cross-checked against the Goethe-Institut A1 practice materials.
Want to check whether a specific verb takes dative or accusative? Ask your teaching agent.