The Dative Case for Recipients

Level 2

The dative answers komu? (to whom? for whom?). It marks the receiver: Dám bratovi darček. (I'll give my brother a present.)

How It Works

Two objects, two cases

  • the thing: accusative, question čo? (what?): darček, list, zmrzlinu
  • the person: dative, question komu? (to whom?): bratovi, mame, deťom

Dám bratovi darček. I'll give my brother a present.

Common verbs with a receiver

  • giving: dať (give), poslať (send), priniesť (bring), požičať (lend), kúpiť (buy for)
  • telling: povedať (tell), písať (write), vysvetliť (explain), ukázať (show), zavolať (phone)
  • doing something for someone: uvariť (cook), otvoriť (open): Otvor mi dvere. (Open the door for me.)

No preposition. English says to my brother or for the children. Slovak uses only the ending: Pošlem to kolegovi. (I'll send it to my colleague.) Do not add k, which means moving toward a place or a person. See Toward: k and ku.

Word order. New information usually comes last. Dám bratovi darček tells what you will give. Darček dám bratovi tells who gets it.

Phoning and calling over. Zavolám mame (dative) means I'll phone mom. Zavolám mamu (accusative) means I'll call mom to come here.

Forms. For endings like bratovi, mame, mestu see Dative Singular Endings. For mi, ti, mu, jej, nám, vám, im see Dative Pronouns.

Examples (6)

  1. Dám bratovi darček.

    I'll give my brother a present.

    bratovi is the receiver (dative); darček is the thing given (accusative).

  2. Píšem mame list.

    I'm writing mom a letter.

  3. Kúpil som deťom zmrzlinu.

    I bought the children ice cream.

    deťom is the dative plural of deti: the children are the ones who benefit.

  4. Ukážem vám mesto.

    I'll show you the town.

    vám is the dative of vy.

  5. Pošlem to kolegovi e-mailom.

    I'll send it to my colleague by email.

  6. Komu si požičal auto?

    Who did you lend the car to?

    komu is the dative question word: to whom?

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the receiver in the nominative.

    Dám brat darček.
    Dám bratovi darček.

    The person who receives something needs the dative ending: brat becomes bratovi.

  • Adding k to translate English to.

    Poviem to k bratovi.
    Poviem to bratovi.

    Povedať takes the listener in the dative alone. K means moving toward someone; it does not mark who hears or receives something.

  • Putting the person in the accusative.

    Poviem Petra pravdu.
    Poviem Petrovi pravdu.

    The accusative is already used for the thing told (pravdu). The person told is the receiver, so Peter becomes Petrovi.

How It Connects

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The Dative Case for RecipientsLevel 2

Learn This First

Before The Dative Case for Recipients, learn The Accusative Case for Objects. The dative recipient is added to a sentence that already has an accusative object.

Words in This Pattern