Third Declension: Dative -i, -ibus

Level 3

-i for one receiver and -ibus for several.

How It Works

The dative singular -i is short and easy to miss. Compare regi (to the king) with regis (of the king) and rege (with the king).

The dative often goes with verbs of giving and telling, such as dare and dicere. The thing given stays in the accusative.

In the plural, the dative and the ablative look the same. The verb and the preposition tell you which case you have.

Marcus regi librum dat.
Marcus gives the king a book.
Regi is the dative singular, and librum is the thing given.
Iulia patri rosam portat.
Iulia brings a rose to her father.
Patri is the dative singular of pater.
Pueri civibus donum dant.
The boys give a gift to the citizens.
Civibus is the dative plural.
Sacerdos hominibus panem dat.
The priest gives bread to the people.
Hominibus is the dative plural of homo.
Gloria Patri.
Glory to the Father.
Patri is the dative: the Father is the one who receives the glory.

Using the genitive for the receiver.
Marcus regis librum dat.
Marcus regi librum dat.
Regis means of the king, so this sentence says that Marcus gives the king's book. To say that the king receives the book, write the dative regi.
Using the ablative -e for the receiver.
Marcus rege librum dat.
Marcus regi librum dat.
Rege is the ablative, so it cannot name the person who receives the book. The dative singular ends in -i: regi.

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Third Declension: Dative -i, -ibusLevel 3

This is the dative of the third family, with the -is plural to compare.

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