Came to Help, Dear to Me
Two datives: one for the purpose, one for the person.
How It Works
| Latin | Purpose | Person | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caesar sociis auxilio venit. | auxilio | sociis | Caesar came to help his allies. |
| Hoc mihi cordi est. | cordi | mihi | This is dear to me. |
| Cui bono? | bono | cui | For whose benefit? |
Words that often fill the purpose slot are auxilio (help), usui (use), curae (care) and cordi (heart). English needs a phrase to translate them.
Many are fixed phrases with esse: curae esse (to be a care), usui esse (to be useful), odio esse (to be hated).
Cicero quotes the question Cui bono?, and it has become a phrase in English. It asks who gains.
Examples (5)
- Caesar sociis auxilio venit.
Caesar came to help his allies.
Auxilio is the dative of purpose, and sociis is the dative of the person.
- Hoc mihi cordi est.
This is dear to me.
Cordi is a dative of purpose, literally a heart, and mihi is the person.
- Cui bono?
For whose benefit?
Cicero says the judge Lucius Cassius used to ask this in court. Bono is the dative of purpose and cui the dative of the person.
- Haec res nobis magno usui est.
This is of great use to us.
Usui is the dative of purpose with magno, and nobis is the dative of the person.
- Silentium in ecclesia sacerdoti curae est.
Silence in the church is a care to the priest.
Curae is the dative of purpose, and sacerdoti is the dative of the person.
Common Mistakes
Using the accusative for the person.
Hoc me cordi est.Hoc mihi cordi est.The person is in the dative: mihi. Me is the accusative.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The dative of purpose goes with est or venit and a second dative for the person, so the dative with est comes first.
Related Patterns
Practice Came to Help, Dear to Me in Bubblegum
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