WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
WHAT IT'S USED FOR
Indirect Objects
The dative case is most often used to express an indirect object in a sentence. An indirect object is a noun that receives the direct object of a sentence. For example, look at this sentence: “The teacher gave a test to her students.” In this sentence, the subject is the teacher, and the direct object is the test. The indirect object is the students, because they are receiving the direct object. The indirect object is almost always preceded by “to” or “for” in English.
Examples:
The young man gave money to the slave. The slave-girl prepared dinner for the friends. I am writing a letter to the merchants.
iuvenis servō pecuniam dedit. ancilla amicis cenam paravit. epistulam scribo mercatoribus.
Gerundives of Obligation
This is a special form of verb that expresses a need to accomplish that task; the subject of that gerundive is in the dative rather than the nominative.
Examples:
The woman must go to the bathroom. The slaves must work in the fields. The merchants must sell the wine.
feminae latrinam adeundum est. servis in agris laborandum est. mercatoribus vinum vendendum est.
Special Verbs
Certain verbs require their nouns to be in the dative case instead of the nominative or accusative. These don’t usually have a “to” or “for” in the English translation – the difference is only there in the Latin, not in the English. There are a decent number of these verbs, and some of them show up fairly often, so it's good to be familiar with which verbs require this. Beneath the examples below, you'll find a list of some of the most common verbs that require the dative case.
Examples:
I believe in magic. Hulk is angry at Black Widow. I ordered the soldiers to go away.
credo magiae. Hulcus irascitur Nigrae Viduae. imperavī militibus ut abirent.
Verbs that Take the Dative Case:
crēdō, -ere, crēdidī, -itus to believe
fīdō, -ere, -, fīsus to trust
diffīdō, -ere, -, diffīsus to distrust
faveō, -ēre, fāvī, fautus to favor
placeō, -ēre, placuī, placitus to please
displiceō, -ēre, displicuī, displitus to displease
studeō, -ēre, studuī to be eager, desire
invideō, -ēre, invīdī, invīsus to envy
imperō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus to command, order
suādeō, -ēre, suāsī, suāsus to exhort, recommend, persuade
pāreō, -ēre, pāruī to obey
cēdō, -ere, cessī, cessus to yield
serviō, -īre, servīvī, servītus to serve
resistō, -ere, restitī to resist
respondeō, -ēre, respondī, respōnsus to answer
īrāscor, īrāscī, īrātus sum to be angry at
minor, minārī, minātus sum to threaten
noceō, -ēre, nocuī, nocitus to harm
parcō, -ere, pepercī, parsus to spare
īgnōscō, -ere, īgnōvī, īgnōtus to pardon
The dative case is most often used to express an indirect object in a sentence. An indirect object is a noun that receives the direct object of a sentence. For example, look at this sentence: “The teacher gave a test to her students.” In this sentence, the subject is the teacher, and the direct object is the test. The indirect object is the students, because they are receiving the direct object. The indirect object is almost always preceded by “to” or “for” in English.
Examples:
The young man gave money to the slave. The slave-girl prepared dinner for the friends. I am writing a letter to the merchants.
iuvenis servō pecuniam dedit. ancilla amicis cenam paravit. epistulam scribo mercatoribus.
Gerundives of Obligation
This is a special form of verb that expresses a need to accomplish that task; the subject of that gerundive is in the dative rather than the nominative.
Examples:
The woman must go to the bathroom. The slaves must work in the fields. The merchants must sell the wine.
feminae latrinam adeundum est. servis in agris laborandum est. mercatoribus vinum vendendum est.
Special Verbs
Certain verbs require their nouns to be in the dative case instead of the nominative or accusative. These don’t usually have a “to” or “for” in the English translation – the difference is only there in the Latin, not in the English. There are a decent number of these verbs, and some of them show up fairly often, so it's good to be familiar with which verbs require this. Beneath the examples below, you'll find a list of some of the most common verbs that require the dative case.
Examples:
I believe in magic. Hulk is angry at Black Widow. I ordered the soldiers to go away.
credo magiae. Hulcus irascitur Nigrae Viduae. imperavī militibus ut abirent.
Verbs that Take the Dative Case:
crēdō, -ere, crēdidī, -itus to believe
fīdō, -ere, -, fīsus to trust
diffīdō, -ere, -, diffīsus to distrust
faveō, -ēre, fāvī, fautus to favor
placeō, -ēre, placuī, placitus to please
displiceō, -ēre, displicuī, displitus to displease
studeō, -ēre, studuī to be eager, desire
invideō, -ēre, invīdī, invīsus to envy
imperō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus to command, order
suādeō, -ēre, suāsī, suāsus to exhort, recommend, persuade
pāreō, -ēre, pāruī to obey
cēdō, -ere, cessī, cessus to yield
serviō, -īre, servīvī, servītus to serve
resistō, -ere, restitī to resist
respondeō, -ēre, respondī, respōnsus to answer
īrāscor, īrāscī, īrātus sum to be angry at
minor, minārī, minātus sum to threaten
noceō, -ēre, nocuī, nocitus to harm
parcō, -ere, pepercī, parsus to spare
īgnōscō, -ere, īgnōvī, īgnōtus to pardon
