Indirect objects
An indirect object is the person to whom or for whom something is done: in "the slave gives water to the master", the master is the indirect object.
Can recognize Indirect objects in a short Latin prompt
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Marcus reads.
Julia sees the tablet.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
An indirect object is the person to whom or for whom something is done: in "the slave gives water to the master", the master is the indirect object. Latin marks this with the dative case. Once you can spot dative endings, sentences with giving, telling, showing, and handing over fall into place.
The common singular dative endings at A1 are:
| Type | Nominative | Dative (to / for) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st declension | puella (girl) | puellae |
| 2nd declension | dominus (master) | domino |
| 3rd declension | rex (king) | regi |
So the pattern is often -ae or -o or -i at the end of the receiving person.
Examples:
- Servus domino aquam dat. = The slave gives water to the master.
- Puella matri rosam dat. = The girl gives a rose to her mother.
- Magister discipulis fabulam narrat. = The teacher tells a story to the pupils.
For English speakers: English usually needs the word "to" or "for", or else fixed word order ("give the master water"). Latin has no separate word here at all: the "to" is baked into the ending. So do not scan for a preposition, and do not assume the noun nearest the verb is the object. In domino aquam dat, domino (dative, receiver) and aquam (accusative, the thing given) are told apart purely by their endings. Read -ae / -o / -i as "to/for someone".
Marcus reads.
Example for Indirect objects.
Julia sees the tablet.
A short A1 sentence with visible endings.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Put it into practice
Try a free exercise from the courseFrequently asked questions
- When is Indirect objects used?
- An indirect object is the person to whom or for whom something is done: in "the slave gives water to the master ", the master is the indirect object. Latin marks this with the dative case . Once you can spot dative endings, sentences with giving, telling, showing, and handing over fall into place.
- How is Indirect objects formed?
- So the pattern is often -ae or -o or -i at the end of the receiving person. For English speakers: English usually needs the word "to" or "for", or else fixed word order ("give the master water"). Latin has no separate word here at all: the "to" is baked into the ending. So do not scan for a preposition, and do not assume the noun nearest the verb is the object. In domino aquam dat , domino (dative, receiver) and aquam (accusative, the thing given) are told apart purely by their endings. Read -ae / -o / -i as "to/for someone".