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.)