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Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn the German dative personal pronouns like mir, dir, ihm, ihr, uns, euch, and Ihnen, and how to use them correctly with singular and plural subjects in everyday sentences.
  1. In the dative case, the form of the personal pronoun changes depending on the person and number.
Person (Person)Singular (Singular)Person (Person)Plural (Plural)
IchmirWiruns
DudirIhreuch
ErihmSie ihnen
Sie ihr  
Esihm  

Exceptions!

  1. The polite form Ihnen is always capitalised.

Exercise 1: Personalpronomen - Dativ

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

euch, ihr, dir, Ihnen, mir, uns, ihm

1. Er:
: Wir bringen ... zu Ostern ein kleines Geschenk.
(We are bringing him a small gift for Easter.)
2. Sie (Singular):
: Im Urlaub gebe ich ... ein Buch.
(On holiday, I give her a book.)
3. Sie (höfliche Anrede):
: Ich wünsche ... ein frohes neues Jahr!
(I wish you a happy new year!)
4. Ihr:
: Ich erkläre ... am 5. Juli das Programm.
(I will explain the programme to you on July 5th.)
5. Wir:
: Frohe Weihnachten! – Der Feiertag bringt ... immer Freude.
(Merry Christmas! – The holiday always brings us joy.)
6. Sie (Singular):
: Der Karneval gefällt ... sehr gut.
(She likes the carnival very much.)
7. Ich:
: Am 1. Mai schenkst du ... eine Schokolade.
(On the 1st of May you give me a chocolate.)
8. Du:
: Am Anfang des Urlaubs koche ich ... eine Suppe.
(At the beginning of the holiday, I will cook you a soup.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Ich gebe ___ Mann das Geschenk zum Geburtstag.

(I give ___ man the gift for his birthday.)

2. Wir schicken ___ Frau eine Einladung für die Feier am Montag.

(We send ___ woman an invitation for the party on Monday.)

3. Kannst du ___ Kind das Buch vorlesen?

(Can you read the book to ___ child?)

4. Ich bringe ___ Kindern am Feiertag Süßigkeiten mit.

(I bring ___ children sweets on the holiday.)

5. Am Montag gebe ich ___ Freundin das Geschenk.

(On Monday I give ___ girlfriend the gift.)

6. Wir wünschen ___ ein frohes neues Jahr.

(We wish ___ a happy new year.)

Personal Pronouns in the Dative Case

This lesson focuses on understanding and using personal pronouns in the dative case in German. The dative case is primarily used to indicate the indirect object of a sentence — to whom or for whom something is given, said, or done.

Dative Personal Pronouns Table

Person Singular Person Plural
Ich (I) mir Wir (We) uns
Du (You - informal singular) dir Ihr (You - informal plural) euch
Er (He) ihm Sie (They) ihnen
Sie (She) ihr
Es (It) ihm

Usage and Important Notes

In German, the form of the personal pronoun changes depending on the person and number when used in the dative case. For example:

  • Ich gebe mir das Buch. (I give myself the book.)
  • Du schickst dir die Nachricht. (You send yourself the message.)

Remember that the polite form, „Ihnen”, is always capitalized when used as a dative pronoun. This is an important formal address in German.

Comparison Between English and German

English personal pronouns do not change form for the dative case, often using "to" or "for" with the object, e.g., "I give the book to him." German replaces the preposition with a specific dative pronoun form such as "ihm."

Useful words and phrases that differ from English:

  • mir = to/for me
  • dir = to/for you (informal singular)
  • ihm = to/for him or it
  • ihr = to/for her
  • uns = to/for us
  • euch = to/for you (informal plural)
  • ihnen = to/for them or you (formal)

These forms are essential for everyday conversations involving giving, telling, showing, or helping someone.

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Sophie Schmidt

International Administration Management

Würzburger Dolmetscherschule

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Last Updated:

Friday, 18/07/2025 00:21