Animals

The Dative Case: To Whom? For Whom?

The Dative case is used to indicate the indirect object of a verb – кому or для кого 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 and hard/soft stem.

  • Singular Masculine/Neuter: hard -у / -у, soft -ьови / -еви or -у. (e.g., брату - to a brother, дам учителеви - I give to a teacher, селу - to a village, полю - to a field).
  • Singular Feminine: hard -і / -і, soft -і / -і. (e.g., сестрі - to a sister, землі - to land).
  • Plural (all genders): hard/soft -ам / -ам. (e.g., братам - to brothers, учителям - to teachers, сестрам - to sisters, землям - to lands, селам - to villages, полям - to fields).

• Adjectives:

  • Singular Masculine/Neuter: hard -ому / -ому, soft -ьому / -ьому. (e.g., доброму брату - to a good brother, синьому морю - to the blue sea, доброму селу - to a good village).
  • Singular Feminine: hard -ій / -ій, soft -їй / -їй. (e.g., добрій сестрі - to a good sister, синьїй землї - to the blue land).
  • Plural (all genders): hard -ым / -ым, soft -им / -им. (e.g., добрым братам - to good brothers, синьим мужам - to blue men).

• Examples: Дай книгу брату (Give the book to the brother). Говориме штудентам (We are speaking to the students). Иду до сестры__ (I am going to the sister). Пишу лист __родителям** (I am writing a letter to the parents).