Phrase guide

dative case

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

Case used to express direction towards an indirect object, the recipient or beneficiary of an action, and is generally indicated in English by to (when a recipient) or for (when a beneficiary) with the objective case. The direct object may be either stated or unstated where the indirect object is the beneficiary of the verbal action, but is stated where the indirect object is a recipient. If there is emphasis on the indirect object, the indirect object usually precedes the direct object and is not usually indicated with to or for; said structure is also used when neither object is being emphasized.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the category of nouns serving as the indirect object of a verb

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dative

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: oblique, oblique case

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

90 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: dhanore — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Arabic: حَالَة الْمَفْعُول لَهُ — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Arabic: حَالَة مِنْ حَالَات النُّصْب — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Armenian: տրական հոլով (trakan holov) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Armenian: տրական (trakan) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Asturian: dativu — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Belarusian: дава́льны склон (daválʹny sklon) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Belarusian: дава́льны (daválʹny) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Bulgarian: да́телен паде́ж (dátelen padéž) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Carpathian Rusyn: датів (dativ) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Catalan: datiu — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Chechen: лург дожар (lurg dožar) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Chinese Mandarin: 與格 /与格 (yǔgé) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Czech: dativ — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Czech: třetí pád — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Dutch: datief — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Dutch: derde naamval — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Dutch: dativus — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Erzya: максыця (maksïća) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Esperanto: dativo — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Estonian: daativ — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Faroese: hvørjumfall — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Finnish: datiivi — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • French: datif — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • French: complément d'objet indirect — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • French: C.O.I. — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • French: troisième déclinaison — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • French: quatrième déclinaison — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Galician: caso dativo — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Georgian: მიცემითი ბრუნვა (micemiti brunva) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Georgian: მიცემითი (micemiti) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Georgian: დატივი (daṭivi) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • German: Dativ — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • German: Wemfall — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • German: dritter Fall — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • German: Wem-Fall — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Greek: δοτική πτώση (dotikí ptósi) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Ancient Greek: δοτική (dotikḗ) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Gujarati: ચતુર્થી (caturthī) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Hungarian: részes eset — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Hungarian: részeshatározó eset — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Hungarian: dativus — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Icelandic: þágufall — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Indonesian: datif — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Irish: tabharthach — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Italian: caso dativo — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Japanese: 与格 (yokaku) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Kashubian: datiw — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Kashubian: dôwôcz — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Korean: 여격 (yeogyeok) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Kyrgyz: барыш (barış) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Latin: (casus) dativus — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Latvian: datīvs — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Lithuanian: naudininkas — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Livonian: datīv — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Malay: kes kasus ketiga — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Norwegian: dativ — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Norwegian: sidefall — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Polish: celownik — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Portuguese: caso dativo — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Portuguese: dativo — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Romanian: caz dativ — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Romanian: dativ — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Russian: да́тельный паде́ж (dátelʹnyj padéž) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Russian: да́тельный (dátelʹnyj) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Scottish Gaelic: tuiseal tabhartach — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Serbo-Croatian: датив — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Serbo-Croatian: dativ — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Slovak: tretí pád — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Slovak: datív — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Slovene: dajalnik — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Spanish: caso dativo — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Spanish: dativo — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Swedish: dativ — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Tamil: நான்காம் வேற்றுமை (nāṉkām vēṟṟumai) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Telugu: చతుర్థీ విభక్తి (caturthī vibhakti) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Thai: สัมปทานการก (sǎm-bpà-taan-gaa-rók) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Turkish: -e hâli — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Turkish: datif — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Turkish: yönelme hâli/durumu — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Turkish: -e hâli/durumu — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Ukrainian: дава́льний відмі́нок (daválʹnyj vidmínok) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Ukrainian: дава́льний (daválʹnyj) — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Vietnamese: tặng cách — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Vietnamese: dữ cách — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Volapük: kimefal — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Volapük: datif — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Welsh: dadiol — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Welsh: derbyniol — case used to express direction towards an indirect object
  • Zazaki: halê çerğbıyayışi — case used to express direction towards an indirect object