padėti / dėkoti / skambinti + dative
Verbs That Take the Dative
With padėti (to help), dėkoti (to thank) and skambinti (to call), the person is in the dative: Padėk man! (Help me!), Paskambink mamai! (Call Mom!).
How It Works
1. The common verbs.
- padėti kam (to help someone): Jis man padeda.
- dėkoti kam (to thank someone): Dėkoju jums.
- skambinti, paskambinti kam (to phone someone): Skambinu mamai.
- patarti kam (to advise someone): Gal galite man patarti?
- atleisti kam (to forgive someone): Atleisk man.
- trukdyti kam (to bother someone): Netrukdyk tėčiui.
2. Dative endings. Common masculine noun endings are -ui or -iui (broliui, Tomui), and common feminine noun endings are -ai or -ei (mamai, Eglei). Common plural endings are -ams, -oms or -ėms (draugams, mamoms). Pronouns: man, tau, jam, jai, mums, jums, jiems, joms.
3. Thanking. Dėkoju is a little more formal than ačiū, and both use the dative: Ačiū tau, Dėkoju jums. The reason follows už with the accusative: už dovaną (for the present).
4. Same verb, different meaning. Some of these verbs also take the accusative, but then they mean something else. Padėti knygą ant stalo means to put the book on the table. Atleisti darbuotoją means to dismiss an employee. So padėti with a dative person is about helping, and with an accusative thing it is about putting down.
5. Negation keeps the dative. The dative stays dative after ne-: Jis man nepadėjo (He did not help me).
Examples (6)
- Brolis man padeda daryti namų darbus.
My brother helps me with my homework.
Word by Word: Brother to-me helps do homework.
Man is the dative of aš.
- Dėkoju jums už pagalbą.
Thank you for your help.
The person is in the dative, and the reason follows už.
- Vakare paskambinsiu mamai.
I'll call Mom this evening.
Mama → mamai, the dative singular.
- Gal galite man patarti?
Could you give me some advice?
Patarti also takes the person in the dative.
- Atleisk man, aš pavėlavau.
Forgive me, I'm late.
Atleisti means to forgive when the person is in the dative.
- Netrukdyk tėčiui, jis dirba.
Don't bother Dad, he's working.
Tėtis → tėčiui. The dative stays after ne-.
Common Mistakes
Using the accusative after padėti because English says help me.
Jis padeda mane.Jis man padeda.Padėti meaning “help” takes the dative; the accusative expresses putting someone or something down. For “help me”, use man, not mane. The pronoun usually comes before the verb.
Using the accusative after dėkoti.
Dėkoju tave už dovaną.Dėkoju tau už dovaną.The person you thank is in the dative: tau. Only the reason, after už, is in the accusative.
Using the accusative after skambinti.
Skambinu mamą.Skambinu mamai.You call to someone, so the person is in the dative: mamai.
How It Connects
Learn This First
These verbs select a dative person as their complement.
Related Patterns
- ačiūThanking
Everyday thanks, which also takes the dative: Ačiū tau.
Level 1 - už + accusativeFor and in Exchange for with Už
Gives the reason for thanks: Dėkoju už pagalbą.
Level 2 - Personal Pronoun Case Forms
Lists the dative pronouns man, tau, jam and jai.
Level 2 - laukti / ieškoti / prašyti + genitiveVerbs That Take the Genitive
These verbs take the thing awaited, sought or requested in the genitive.
Level 2 - domėtis / rūpintis / džiaugtis + instrumentalVerbs That Take the Instrumental
Verbs whose object is in the instrumental.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice padėti / dėkoti / skambinti + dative in Bubblegum
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