The Dative Case: To Whom? For Whom?
The Dative case is used to indicate the indirect object of a verb – komu or za kogo 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: -ej or -oju. (e.g., bratej - to a brother, dam wucabnikoju - I give to a teacher, městoju - to a city, póloju - to a field).
- Singular Feminine: -i or -e. (e.g., sotšy - to a sister, zemi - to the earth).
- Plural (all genders): -am / -am. (e.g., bratšam - to brothers, wucabnikam - to teachers, sotšam - to sisters, zemjam - to lands, městam - to cities, pólam - to fields).
Adjectives:
- Singular Masculine/Neuter: hard -emu, soft -emu. (e.g., dobremu bratej - to a good brother, něžnemu wucabnikoju - to a tender teacher)
- Singular Feminine: ending -ej. (e.g., dobrej sotšy - to a good sister, něžnej žoni - to a tender woman)
- Plural (all genders): hard -ym, soft -im. (e.g., dobrym bratšam - to good brothers, něžnim wucabnikam - to tender teachers)
Examples: Daj knigłu bratej (Give the book to the brother). Ja powědam studentam (I am speaking to the students). Ja pišom list rodarjam (I am writing a letter to the parents).