The Dative Case: To Whom? For Whom?
The Dative case is used to indicate the indirect object of a verb – каму́ or для каго́ an action is done. It is also used after certain verbs and prepositions. Its main purpose is to show the recipient of something or the beneficiary of an action.
Nouns: Endings change based on gender, number, and hard/soft stem.
- Singular Masculine/Neuter: -у / -ю. (e.g., бра́ту - to a brother, даю́ настаўніку - I give to a teacher, го́раду - to a city, по́лю - to a field).
- Singular Feminine: -е (after hard consonant) / -і (after soft consonant/vowel). (e.g., сясцры́ - to a sister, зямлí - to the earth, ма́ці - to a mother).
- Plural (all genders): -ам / -ям. (e.g., бра́там - to brothers, настаўнікам - to teachers, сёстрам - to sisters, землям - to lands, гарада́м - to cities, паля́м - to fields).
Adjectives:
- Singular Masculine/Neuter: hard -ому, soft -яму. (e.g., до́браму бра́ту - to a good brother, сíняму настаўніку - to a blue teacher)
- Singular Feminine: ending -ай (hard) / -яй (soft). (e.g., до́брай сясцры́ - to a good sister, сíняй жа́нчыне - to a blue woman)
- Plural (all genders): hard -ым, soft -ім. (e.g., до́брым бра́там - to good brothers, сíнім настаўнікам - to blue teachers)
Examples: Дай кнíгу бра́ту (Give the book to the brother). Я гавару́ студэ́нтам (I am speaking to the students). Я пішу́ ліст бацька́м (I am writing a letter to the parents).