What does dative mean?
In grammar, the dative is the case that marks an indirect object — the noun or pronoun that receives the action of a verb, often expressed in English by 'to' or 'for'. In a sentence like 'She gave the book to her brother,' the recipient would appear in the dative in languages that preserve this distinction, such as Latin, German, Greek, and Russian. The name comes from the Latin dativus, meaning 'of giving', since the case was first identified through verbs of giving. English has largely lost distinct case endings for nouns, though pronouns retain traces of them, so the dative survives mainly as a concept students meet when learning classical or modern inflected languages. Understanding it helps explain how many languages signal who gives, who receives, and what is given without relying on word order alone.
nounIn grammar, the dative is the case of a noun, pronoun, or adjective that typically marks an indirect object — the recipient of an action. It also refers more generally to the dative case as a category in inflected languages.
- The grammatical case marking an indirect object or recipient in inflected languages such as Latin, German, Russian, and Greek.
"In German, the indirect object of 'I gave her the book' takes the dative."
"Latin students learn to recognise the dative by its characteristic -i ending."
"In Russian, the preposition 'к' ('towards') always governs the dative."
Used when referring to multiple instances of the dative case across languages or sentences.
"Latin and Greek both use datives to mark recipients."
The word 'dative' literally means 'giving' — it's the grammar case named after the act of giving something to someone.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dative
The word derives from Latin dativus, meaning 'of giving', formed from the verb dare, 'to give'. Roman grammarians applied it to the case that expresses the recipient of an action, especially with verbs of giving. It passed into English grammatical terminology via Latin scholarship, appearing in English texts from around the early 15th century in Middle French and Latin-influenced writing on grammar. Other English words descended from the same Latin root dare include data and date.
How dative is actually used
A technical term used almost exclusively in linguistics, classical studies, and language teaching; rarely encountered in everyday conversation.
Easily confused with dative
The ablative is a different case in Latin and related languages, marking separation, means, or instrument rather than the recipient of an action.