RUSSIAN CASES · DATIVE

The Russian Dative Case
(Да́тельный паде́ж)

Q: What questions does the Russian dative case answer?

Кому? (to whom?) and чему? (to what?) — the recipient of an action.

Q: Which common verbs take the dative case?

Давать, говорить, помогать, звонить, отвечать, писать, показывать, обещать, дарить, among others. Note that помогать and звонить take the dative, unlike their English equivalents.

Q: Why is it "мне нравится", not "я нравлюсь"?

With нравиться, the thing you like is the subject; the person who likes it goes in the dative. For example, Я нравлюсь ему means "he likes me" — literally, "I am pleasing to him."

The dative case answers the questions кому́? (to whom?) and чему́? (to what?). Its core meaning is the recipient: the person or thing an action is directed toward. It also combines with many impersonal constructions and the prepositions к and по.

When to Use the Dative Case

The recipient of an action (indirect object)

The person who receives something or to whom something is communicated goes in the dative. Common verbs: дава́ть (to give), говори́ть (to speak), отвеча́ть (to answer), помога́ть (to help), звони́ть (to call), писа́ть (to write), пока́зывать (to show), обеща́ть (to promise), дари́ть (to give as a gift).

Я звоню́ ма́ме ка́ждый день. — I call my mom every day.
Impersonal constructions (needs, permission, states)

The person experiencing the state goes in the dative: ну́жно / на́до (need), мо́жно (may), нельзя́ (must not), among others.

Мне ну́жно рабо́тать за́втра. — I need to work tomorrow.
Liking: нра́виться

In Russian, the person who likes something is in the dative; the thing liked is the grammatical subject.

Мне нра́вится э́тот го́род. — I like this city.
Age

The person whose age is stated goes in the dative.

Моему́ бра́ту два́дцать лет. — My brother is twenty years old.
The preposition к (toward, to someone's place)

Motion toward a person or thing.

Ве́чером мы идём к дру́гу. — In the evening we're going to a friend's place.
The preposition по (along, around, by means of)

Movement around a space and means of communication.

Она́ лю́бит гуля́ть по па́рку. — She likes walking around the park.

Мы говори́м по телефо́ну. — We talk on the phone.

Dative Case Endings

	Masc hard стол	Masc soft слова́рь	Fem (‑а) ко́мната	Fem (‑я/‑ь) пло́щадь	Neuter ме́сто
Nouns — Singular
Sg	столу́	словарю́	ко́мнате	пло́щади	ме́сту
Nouns — Plural
Pl	стола́м	словаря́м	ко́мнатам	площадя́м	места́м

Adjectives

	Masculine	Neuter	Feminine	Plural
Hard но́вый	но́вому	но́вому	но́вой	но́вым
Soft си́ний	си́нему	си́нему	си́ней	си́ним

Personal Pronouns

я	ты	он / оно́	она́	мы	вы	они́
мне	тебе́	ему́ (нему́)	ей (ней)	нам	вам	им (ним)

FAQ

What questions does the Russian dative case answer?

Кому́? (to whom?) and чему́? (to what?) — the recipient of an action.

Which common verbs take the dative case?

Дава́ть, говори́ть, помога́ть, звони́ть, отвеча́ть, писа́ть, пока́зывать, обеща́ть, дари́ть, among others. Note that помога́ть and звони́ть take the dative, unlike their English equivalents.

Why is it "мне нра́вится", not "я нравлю́сь"?

With нра́виться, the thing you like is the subject; the person who likes it goes in the dative. For example, Я нравлю́сь ему́ means "he likes me" — literally, "I am pleasing to him."

The Russian Dative Case(Да́тельный паде́ж)

When to Use the Dative Case

Dative Case Endings

FAQ

Related Pages

The Russian Dative Case
(Да́тельный паде́ж)