Understanding the Dative Case in Hrvatski
In the Croatian language, the Dative Case is used to show that something is given to or directed towards someone. It's like when you give a gift to a friend or tell a story to a family member.
Important Points
- The Dative Case is used to indicate the indirect object of a sentence.
- It often answers the questions 'to whom?' or 'for whom?'
- Nouns, pronouns, and adjectives can all be in the Dative Case.
- The Dative Case is often used with certain verbs that imply giving or sending.
- Prepositions like 'k' (to) and 'prema' (towards) often require the Dative Case.
When you use the Dative Case, you change the ending of the word. This is similar to how in English, you might add 's' to make something plural.
Examples
- Dajem prijatelju knjigu. (I am giving the book to a friend.)
- Pišem pismo majci. (I am writing a letter to my mother.)
- Idem prema kući. (I am going towards the house.)
Let's look at how words change in the Dative Case. For example, if you have a male friend, 'prijatelj', you add '-u' to make it 'prijatelju' when you are giving something to him.
Important Points
- Masculine nouns often add '-u' or '-e' in the Dative Case.
- Feminine nouns usually add '-i'.
- Neuter nouns typically add '-u'.
- The ending changes depend on the gender and number of the noun.
Examples
- Kupujem poklon bratu. (I am buying a gift for my brother.)
- Dajem čokoladu djetetu. (I am giving chocolate to the child.)
- Pripremam ručak obitelji. (I am preparing lunch for the family.)