Dative Singular Forms

Level 2

Many masculine and neuter nouns take dative singular -u. Common feminine -a nouns take -i, and some consonant-final feminine nouns also have -i.

How It Works

Regular examples include prijatelj/prijatelju and sestra/sestri. In a giving sentence, these forms identify the recipient.

A neuter noun can have an expanded stem: dijete → djetetu. A noun like ruka can also change its consonant in ruci. Learn the actual form rather than attaching -u or -i to any dictionary shape.

The dative singular commonly looks like the locative singular. That shared shape does not collapse their uses: a bare recipient and a topic after o have different roles. Modifiers must agree in case, as in svojoj sestri.

Examples (4)

  1. Pišem prijatelju.

    I am writing to a friend.

    Prijatelju is dative singular.

  2. Dajem poklon sestri.

    I am giving a gift to my sister.

    Sestra changes to sestri.

  3. Čitam djetetu.

    I am reading to a child.

    Dijete has an expanded dative stem in djetetu.

  4. Pomažem svojoj sestri.

    I am helping my sister.

    The possessive modifier also takes dative agreement.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Dative Singular FormsLevel 2

Learn This First

The case endings realize the already introduced recipient role.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.