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Polish grammar · A1

Nouns: Dative Case

Alexander StebnerCreator of Lingora · Updated 19 October 20262 min readComments

The Dative case marks the indirect object — the person or thing something is given to, told to, or done for. It answers the question (to whom?) or (to what?).

01

Common Uses

The Dative appears after verbs of giving, telling, and showing, and with impersonal expressions of feeling:

  • Daję kotu mleko.

    I am giving the cat milk.

  • Powiedziałem mamie prawdę.

    I told my mum the truth.

  • Jest mi zimno.

    I am cold. (lit. it is cold to me)

  • Dziecku jest smutno.

    The child is sad. (lit. it is sad to the child)

02

Noun Endings

Singular

  • Masculine / Neuter: -owi (most nouns), -u (a few common nouns like , , )
  • Feminine: -e () or -i/-y (, )

Plural: -om for all genders (, , ).

03

After Prepositions

A few prepositions require the Dative: (thanks to), (towards), (against), and (despite):

  • Dzięki tobie zdałem egzamin.

    Thanks to you I passed the exam.

  • Wbrew rodzicom wyjechał za granicę.

    Despite his parents, he went abroad.

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