Datives

The Dative is the case of the Indirect Object and of Personal Interest answering the questions "to whom?" "for whom" or "from whom?"

Dative Case Endings
	1st Fem.	2nd Masc.	2nd Neut.	3rd M. & F.	3rd Neut.	4th Masc.	4th Neut.	5th Fem.
Sing.	ae	o (long)	o (long)	i (long)	i (long)	ui (long i)	u (long)	ei (long i)
Plur.	is (long)	is (long)	is (long)	ibus (short)	ibus (short)	ibus (short)	ibus (short)	ebus (long e)

Uses of the Dative
Dative of Indirect Object Dative with Intransitive Verbs Dative with Compound Verbs Dative of Possession Dative of Interest/Advantage Ethical Dative Dative of Reference Dative of Agent Dative of Purpose Double Dative Local Dative/Dative of Place to Which Dative with Special Adjectives

Dative of Indirect Object
- Expresses an indirect object with a transitive verb
- Marcus mihi pilam iecit. Marcus threw the ball to me.
  Mater nobis cibum cocinat. Mother cooks food for us.
  Sextus ei pupam ademit. Sextus took the doll from her.
Dative with Intransitive Verbs
- Many verbs of advantage, disadvantage, yielding, resisting, pleasure, displeasure, bidding, adn forbidding take the dative.
- Credo virtuti hominis. I trust the virtue of mankind.
Dative with Compound Verbs
- Many verbs, especially in poetry, when compounded with the prepositions ad, ante, con, in, inter, ob, post, prae, sub, and super, take the dative.
- Imminent duo reges toti Asiae. Two kings threaten all [of] Asia.
Dative of Possession
- Expresses possession by the noun in the dative
- Emphasizes the thing possessed (not in the dative) more than the person possessing (in the dative)
- Gives a temporary quality to the person possessing as opposed to the permanence implied by the genitive
- Caesar amicus mihi est. Caesar is a friend to me. I have Caesar as a friend.
Dative of Interest
- Expresses the person who views the action or at whom an action is intended
- Deo nostra altaria fumant. Our altars smoke for God.
Ethical Dative
- A type of Dative of Interest, the Ethical Dative expresses special interest or feeling.
- Tu mihi istam audaciam defendis? Do you defend that audacity to me?
Dative of Reference
- A type of Dative of Interest, the Dative of Reference expresses the person to whom a statement is meaningful.
- mihi deformis, tibi magnificus. A monster to me, a splendor to you.
Dative of Agent
- A type of Dative of Interest, the Dative of Agent is used with passive verbs in the perfect and with the gerund and gerundive.
- Shows that the agent is interested in the result
- Caesar non necatus est filae suae, sed Bruto. Caesar was not killed by his own daughter, but by Brutus.
  Parentes amandi sunt tibi. You must love your parents. (Your parents must be loved by you.)
Dative of Purpose
- Expresses purpose with some verbs
- non meus adventus labori fuit. My arrival was not a burden.
Double Dative
- Some verbs allow for the use of a dative of purpose with a dative of interest.
- Filius curae patri est. The son is a worry for his father. (The son is for the purpose of a worry to the disadvantage of his father.)
Local Dative/Dative of Place to Which
- Used in poetry to express a destination
- Karthagini non nuntios mittam. I shall not send messages to Carthage.
Dative with Special Adjectives
- Adjectives of likeness, fitness, friendliness, nearness, etc. and their opposites take the dative.
- Canis similis lupo est. The dog is similar to the wolf.