All 14 German Dative Verbs for A1 Level
Only about 60 German verbs require the dative case from A1 to C1, and just 14 of them belong to A1. Knowing them gives you a big advantage when you build correct German sentences. Below you find all 14 with their meaning and an example, plus a bonus tip on impersonal expressions such as Mir ist kalt.
Why Learn the Dative Verbs?
The dative case is one of the biggest hurdles in German, but the group of verbs that need it is small. Once you know them, you know when a person object has to go in the dative. Apart from the verb sein, which takes the nominative, you can use the accusative for almost all other verbs.
The 14 A1 Dative Verbs
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| absagen | to cancel (separable) | Ich muss dir für morgen absagen. |
| antworten | to reply, to answer someone | Lisa antwortet dem Lehrer. |
| danken | to thank someone | Ich danke dir für deine Unterstützung. |
| fehlen | to miss someone | Hans fehlt ihr wirklich. |
| gefallen | to like | Gefällt dir die Frisur? |
| gehören | to belong to someone | Leider gehört das Handy nicht mir. |
| glauben | to believe | Der Hund glaubt mir kein Wort. |
| gratulieren | to congratulate | Ich gratuliere dir zum Geburtstag. |
| helfen | to help | Diego hilft seinem Bruder. |
| passieren | to happen | Ist ihm etwas passiert? |
| raten | to advise | Der Arzt rät ihr, viel Tee zu trinken. |
| schmecken | to taste (food and drink) | Schmeckt dir die Tomatensuppe? |
| wehtun | to hurt (separable) | Der Bauch tut ihm weh. |
| zuhören | to listen to someone (separable) | Die Studenten hören dem Professor zu. |
In every example, the person (the dative object) is the one who receives, is thanked, is helped and so on.
A Few Details Worth Knowing
- Separable verbs: absagen, wehtun and zuhören are separable, so the prefix goes to the end of the sentence (Ich muss dir absagen, Der Bauch tut ihm weh).
- danken: a simple Danke or Vielen Dank is more common, but the verb sounds a little more polite and special: Ich danke dir or Ich danke Ihnen.
- fehlen: the person who is missed is the subject, the person who misses is in the dative: Hans fehlt ihr means she misses Hans.
- passieren: Was ist passiert? has no person, so there is no dative. With a person it becomes Ist ihm etwas passiert?
- schmecken: only for taste in your mouth, for example soup. Ask Schmeckt dir die Tomatensuppe?
- wehtun: works with any body part. With a plural body part, change the verb: Meine Finger tun mir weh.
- gefallen and gehören: these two are special verbs. Learn more in this lesson.
Bonus Tip: Impersonal Expressions (Unpersönliche Wendungen)
A dative pronoun can also appear without a dative verb. Think of Wie geht es dir? The dir is not there because of the verb. It belongs to an impersonal expression built with es, and there are three typical situations.
- Weather: Es ist windig. Es regnet. Es schneit. No person is involved, so there is no dative.
- Temperature: Es ist heiß. Es ist kalt. To say how you feel, add the person: Mir ist kalt. Mir ist heiß. Do not say Ich bin kalt or Ich bin heiß. The es is dropped here (Es ist mir kalt is not wrong, but nobody says it).
- Feelings and states: Wie geht es dir? – Mir geht es gut, danke, und dir? Also Mir ist übel (I feel sick) and Mir ist langweilig (I feel bored). Ich bin langweilig would mean that you are a boring person.
For more about this, read How to express feelings in German: Mir ist ....
What to Learn Next
The next step is the dative verbs for A2. Find them in All A2 German Dative Verbs with Examples, and review the case itself in What is Dativ?. Later you can continue with all B1 dative verbs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many dative verbs are there at A1 level?
There are 14: absagen, antworten, danken, fehlen, gefallen, gehören, glauben, gratulieren, helfen, passieren, raten, schmecken, wehtun and zuhören. In total there are only about 60 dative verbs from A1 to C1.
Which A1 dative verbs are separable?
Absagen, wehtun and zuhören: Die Studenten hören dem Professor zu.
Is passieren always a dative verb?
Only when a person is involved. Was ist passiert? has no dative, but Ist ihm etwas passiert? does.
Why is there a dative in "Wie geht es dir?"
Because of an impersonal expression with es, not because of the verb. The same happens in Mir ist kalt and Mir ist langweilig.
How do I say "I am cold" in German?
Mir ist kalt. Do not say Ich bin kalt, which is not suitable for describing how you feel. The same goes for Mir ist heiß.
Want to practise these verbs step by step? Our A1 German course is a good place to start.
