The Dative Case: To Whom? For Whom?
The Dative case is used to indicate the indirect object of a verb – komu or za koga 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: -u. (e.g., bratu - to a brother, dajem učitelju - I give to a teacher, selu - to a village, polju - to a field).
- Singular Feminine: -i. (e.g., sestri - to a sister, zemlji - to land).
- Plural (all genders): -ima. (e.g., braći - to brothers, učiteljima - to teachers, sestrama - to sisters, zemljama - to lands, selima - to villages, poljima - to fields).
Adjectives:
- Singular Masculine/Neuter: hard -om(u), soft -em(u). (e.g., dobrom(u) bratu - to a good brother, nježnom(u) učitelju - to a tender teacher, dobrom(u) selu - to a good village).
- Singular Feminine: ending -oj. (e.g., dobroj sestri - to a good sister, nježnoj ženi - to a tender woman).
- Plural (all genders): ending -im. (e.g., dobrim očevima - to good fathers, nježnim učiteljima - to tender teachers, dobrim sestrama - to good sisters).
Examples: Daj knjigu bratu (Give the book to the brother). Govorim studentima (I am speaking to the students). Idem k sestri (I am going to the sister). Pišem pismo roditeljima (I am writing a letter to the parents).