Dative verbs (Dativverben) are verbs that take an indirect object (or in some cases, a direct object in the dative case).
- Ich helfe meinem Freund. (I help my friend.)
Common Dative Verbs
Here are the most frequently used dative verbs that you should memorize:
German Verb | English Translation | Example Sentence | Translation |
helfen | to help | Ich helfe dem Kind. | I help the child. |
danken | to thank | Er dankt seiner Mutter. | He thanks his mother. |
folgen | to follow | Wir folgen dem Lehrer. | We follow the teacher. |
gefallen | to please/like | Das Buch gefällt mir. | I like the book. |
gehören | to belong to | Der Hund gehört meiner Schwester. | The dog belongs to my sister. |
gratulieren | to congratulate | Ich gratuliere dir. | I congratulate you. |
glauben | to believe | Sie glaubt ihm. | She believes him. |
antworten | to answer | Du antwortest dem Professor. | You answer the professor. |
begegnen | to meet/encounter | Ich begegne einem Freund. | I meet a friend. |
fehlen | to be missing/lack | Du fehlst mir. | I miss you. |
passen | to fit/suit | Die Schuhe passen ihm nicht. | The shoes don't fit him. |
schmecken | to taste good | Das Essen schmeckt uns. | We like the food. |