Dative Case
Dative case for indirect objects in Polish
I can use dative case for indirect objects
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Daję ci książkę.
I give you the book.
Pomagam mamie.
I help my mother.
Dziękuję nauczycielowi.
I thank the teacher.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Celownik — Dative Case
The dative (celownik) marks the indirect object — the person who receives something.
| Gender | Nom. | Dat. | Ending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masc. | brat | bratu | -owi / -u |
| Fem. | mama | mamie | -ie / -e / -y |
| Neut. | dziecko | dziecku | -u |
Key verbs with dative: dawać (give), pomagać (help), dziękować (thank), mówić (tell).
Pronouns: mi (me), ci (you), mu/jej (him/her), nam (us), wam (you pl.), im (them).
Learners use accusative instead of dative after verbs like pomagać and dziękować.
Daję ci książkę.
I give you the book.
ci is the dative pronoun for 'you' — the person receiving the book.
Pomagam mamie.
I help my mother.
pomagać takes dative: mama → mamie (dative feminine).
Dziękuję nauczycielowi.
I thank the teacher.
dziękować takes dative: nauczyciel → nauczycielowi (masc. -owi).
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 Celownik used?
- The dative (celownik) marks the indirect object — the person who receives something.
- How is Celownik formed?
- Key verbs with dative: dawać (give), pomagać (help), dziękować (thank), mówić (tell). Pronouns: mi (me), ci (you), mu/jej (him/her), nam (us), wam (you pl.), im (them).
- What are common mistakes with Celownik?
- Learners forget the dative after verbs like pomagać and dziękować, using accusative instead. English speakers: English uses word order (give him) or 'to' (give to him) — no case change. Must learn which verbs require dative. Russian speakers: Russian dative (дательный) works identically — direct conceptual transfer. Endings differ: -у vs -owi. Czech speakers: Czech dative (3. pád) is the same concept with similar endings — strong transfer.