The Dative for Indirect Objects
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The Dative case (Naudininkas) marks the recipient of an action, answering the question 'to whom?' or 'for whom?'
- Use Dative for indirect objects: 'Duodu knygą broliui' (I give the book to my brother).
- Use Dative with specific verbs like 'patikti' (to like): 'Man patinka kava' (Coffee pleases me).
- Use Dative for age expressions: 'Man yra dvidešimt metų' (I am twenty years old).
Meanings
The Dative case indicates the indirect object of a sentence, representing the person or entity that benefits from or receives the action.
Recipient
The person receiving an object or action.
“Duodu dovaną mamai.”
“Siunčiu žinutę draugui.”
Preference
Used with verbs like 'patikti' (to like).
“Man patinka muzika.”
“Berniukui patinka žaisti.”
Age
Expressing how old someone is.
“Man dvidešimt metų.”
“Jam penkeri metai.”
Dative Singular Endings
| Noun Type | Nominative | Dative Singular | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine (-as) | brolis | broliui | broliui |
| Feminine (-a) | mama | mamai | mamai |
| Feminine (-ė) | sesė | sesei | sesei |
| Masculine (-is) | berniukas | berniukui | berniukui |
| Neuter (-a/-o) | langas | langui | langui |
| Plural (all) | draugai | draugams | draugams |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + Verb + Dative | Duodu mamai gėlių. |
| Negative | Subject + Neg Verb + Dative | Neduodu mamai gėlių. |
| Question | Ar + Subject + Verb + Dative? | Ar duodi mamai gėlių? |
| Preference | Dative + patinka + Subject | Man patinka kava. |
| Age | Dative + yra + Number + metų | Man yra dvidešimt metų. |
| Need | Dative + reikia + Genitive | Man reikia pagalbos. |
フォーマル度スペクトル
Teikiu tai Jums. (Giving a gift)
Duodu tai tau. (Giving a gift)
Imk, čia tau. (Giving a gift)
Čia tau, imk. (Giving a gift)
The Dative Web
Recipient
- mamai to mom
Preference
- man to me
Age
- jam to him
Examples by Level
Duodu knygą draugui.
I give the book to my friend.
Siunčiu laišką mamai.
I am sending a letter to mom.
Perku dovaną sesei.
I am buying a gift for my sister.
Man patinka kava.
I like coffee.
Man yra dvidešimt metų.
I am twenty years old.
Ar gali padėti broliui?
Can you help the brother?
Mums patinka šis filmas.
We like this movie.
Duok šitą žaislą vaikui.
Give this toy to the child.
Man reikia daugiau laiko.
I need more time.
Jam šalta lauke.
He is cold outside.
Linkiu tau geriausios kloties.
I wish you the best of luck.
Tai atrodo keista man.
That seems strange to me.
Šis pasiūlymas mums atrodo priimtinas.
This proposal seems acceptable to us.
Jis skyrė visą savo laiką mokslui.
He dedicated all his time to science.
Mums teko ilgai laukti.
We had to wait for a long time.
Tai buvo padaryta mūsų patogumui.
It was done for our convenience.
Dėkoju visiems, prisidėjusiems prie šio projekto.
I thank everyone who contributed to this project.
Jam nebuvo lemta tapti gydytoju.
It was not destined for him to become a doctor.
Ši knyga skirta plačiajai visuomenei.
This book is intended for the general public.
Mums buvo nurodyta laikytis taisyklių.
We were instructed to follow the rules.
Suteikite galimybę kiekvienam pasireikšti.
Give everyone an opportunity to express themselves.
Tai prieštarauja sveikam protui.
That contradicts common sense.
Jam buvo patikėta svarbi užduotis.
He was entrusted with an important task.
Mes esame dėkingi likimui.
We are grateful to fate.
Easily Confused
Learners use Nominative for the recipient.
Learners mix up the direct and indirect object.
Learners use Dative after 'reikia'.
よくある間違い
Duodu knyga mama.
Duodu knygą mamai.
Aš patinku kava.
Man patinka kava.
Duodu knyga brolis.
Duodu knygą broliui.
Siunčiu laiškas draugas.
Siunčiu laišką draugui.
Man yra dvidešimt metai.
Man yra dvidešimt metų.
Padėk mama.
Padėk mamai.
Man reikia pagalba.
Man reikia pagalbos.
Tai atrodo keista aš.
Tai atrodo keista man.
Jis skyrė laiką mokslas.
Jis skyrė laiką mokslui.
Mums teko laukti ilgai.
Mums teko ilgai laukti.
Tai prieštarauja sveikas protas.
Tai prieštarauja sveikam protui.
Jam buvo patikėta užduotis.
Jam buvo patikėta užduotis.
Mes esame dėkingi likimas.
Mes esame dėkingi likimui.
Sentence Patterns
Man patinka ___.
Duodu ___ draugui.
Man reikia ___.
Linkiu ___ sėkmės.
Real World Usage
Parašyk man!
Man prašau kavos.
Man patinka dirbti komandoje.
Ar galite padėti man?
Ačiū visiems už sveikinimus!
Siunčiu Jums dokumentus.
Think 'To'
No Prepositions
Verbs Matter
Be Polite
Smart Tips
Always put the person in the Dative.
Use the Dative for the person receiving.
Always use the Dative pronoun.
Use the Dative for the person you are asking.
発音
Dative endings
The '-ui' and '-ai' endings are unstressed in most cases, but ensure the vowel is clear.
Statement
Man patinka kava ↘
Falling intonation for neutral statements.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Dative is the 'Give-it' case: if you give it, use the Dative!
Visual Association
Imagine a giant hand giving a gift to a person. The person receiving the gift has a glowing label above their head that says '-ui' or '-ai'.
Rhyme
When you give or when you like, use the Dative, take a hike!
Story
Jonas wants to give a flower to his mother. He walks to his mother and says 'Mamai!'. His mother smiles and says 'Man patinka gėlės!'. Jonas is happy because he used the Dative correctly.
Word Web
チャレンジ
For the next 5 minutes, describe 3 things you are giving to people in your life using the Dative case.
文化メモ
Lithuanians are very direct with the Dative. Using it correctly shows respect for the recipient.
The Dative case in Lithuanian is a direct descendant of the Proto-Indo-European dative case.
Conversation Starters
Kas tau patinka?
Kam tu rašai laišką?
Ką tu duotum draugui?
Kam skiriate daugiausiai laiko?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Duodu knygą ___ (mama).
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Man reikia pagalba.
draugui / duodu / knygą
brolis -> ?
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
The Dative case is only for people.
A: Ar gali padėti? B: Taip, ___ (tu) padėsiu.
Score: /8
練習問題
8 exercisesDuodu knygą ___ (mama).
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Man reikia pagalba.
draugui / duodu / knygą
brolis -> ?
Match: mama, brolis, sesė
The Dative case is only for people.
A: Ar gali padėti? B: Taip, ___ (tu) padėsiu.
Score: /8
よくある質問 (8)
It marks the recipient of an action, making your sentences clear and natural.
Use it when you give, send, or like things.
It takes practice, but the endings are very consistent.
Yes, you can give things to objects or abstract concepts.
It requires the Dative because the thing you like is the subject.
Dative is the beneficiary, Accusative is the target.
Some nouns have irregular endings, but most follow the standard patterns.
Use it in daily conversations and writing.
In Other Languages
Dativ
German uses articles, while Lithuanian uses endings.
Objeto Indirecto
Spanish uses prepositions, Lithuanian uses case endings.
Complément d'objet indirect
French is analytic, Lithuanian is synthetic.
Ni-particle
Japanese is agglutinative, Lithuanian is inflected.
Lam-preposition
Arabic uses prefixes, Lithuanian uses suffixes.
Gei-verb
Chinese has no case system.
