Dative Case
Indicate the Recipient of an Action

We use the dative case in Russian to indicate the recipient of an action. Verbs such as: дать (to give), писать (to write), звонить (to call), объяснять (to explain), послать (to send), подарить (to offer something) to somebody, are used with dative case:

  • Он дал книгу подруге. (He gave a book to his girlfriend.)
  • Она написала письмо другу. (She wrote a letter to a friend.)
  • Мы позвонили матери. (We called our mother.)
  • Преподаватель объяснил урок студенту. (The teacher explained the lesson to the student.)
  • Менеджер отправил письмо клиенту. (The manager sent a letter to his client.)
  • Отец подарил машину сыну. (The father offered a car to his son.)

Exercises: