Register  Login  Active Topics  Maps  

German Dative Verbs

  Tags: Syntax | German
 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages Post Reply
smoketheme12
Newbie
United States
Joined 4956 days ago

2 posts - 2 votes

 
 Message 1 of 8
21 June 2011 at 9:19am | IP Logged 
Hello everybody,

Are all inanimate objects of dative verbs - such as "folgen," "antworten," and "danken" ... which literally can only refer to a person - always written in the dative case? (I.e., "Glas" -> "ihm" and not ihn/er, etc.)?

No good reason to think otherwise, but with all the exceptions in German grammar, need to make sure metaphors aren't treated differently, for some reason. Seems like personifications in poetry would be too obvious, for one thing, lol...

Thanks in advance for the reassurance.

Edited by smoketheme12 on 21 June 2011 at 10:21am

1 person has voted this message useful



Cabaire
Senior Member
Germany
Joined 5603 days ago

725 posts - 1352 votes 

 
 Message 2 of 8
21 June 2011 at 3:46pm | IP Logged 
I am not sure what you are meaning.

Ich danke / folge / antworte dem Glas = Ich danke / folge / antworte ihm.

In German, unlike Russian* for example, there are no case differences between animate and inanimate objects, as far as I know.

* I mean things like Я люблю яблоко (inanimate accusative) versus Я люблю брата (animate accusative = genitive)
1 person has voted this message useful



smoketheme12
Newbie
United States
Joined 4956 days ago

2 posts - 2 votes

 
 Message 3 of 8
21 June 2011 at 10:17pm | IP Logged 
That's exactly what I meant to ask; sorry if I was unclear. Thanks a lot, man :)
1 person has voted this message useful



christian
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5254 days ago

111 posts - 135 votes 
Speaks: English*
Studies: Spanish, Japanese, German

 
 Message 4 of 8
22 June 2011 at 8:42am | IP Logged 
I guess another question would be, "Are all non-movement verbs followed by the dative?"
1 person has voted this message useful



worldgk
Newbie
India
Joined 4908 days ago

2 posts - 2 votes

 
 Message 5 of 8
22 June 2011 at 3:26pm | IP Logged 
which one is correct in German?

Wann gingen Sie gestern in die Fabrik? or Wann gingen Sie in der Fabrik?

and why it is wrong or right?
1 person has voted this message useful



Arekkusu
Hexaglot
Senior Member
Canada
bit.ly/qc_10_lec
Joined 5385 days ago

3971 posts - 7747 votes 
Speaks: English, French*, GermanC1, Spanish, Japanese, Esperanto
Studies: Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Estonian

 
 Message 6 of 8
22 June 2011 at 6:24pm | IP Logged 
Case does not change because a noun is inanimate and there is no animate/inanimate distinction in German grammar.
2 persons have voted this message useful



Cabaire
Senior Member
Germany
Joined 5603 days ago

725 posts - 1352 votes 

 
 Message 7 of 8
22 June 2011 at 9:52pm | IP Logged 
Wann gingen Sie gestern in die Fabrik? or Wann gingen Sie in der Fabrik?

You say: Where are you going to? Direction needs the accusative.

So "Wann gingen Sie gestern in die Fabrik?" is correct.

But you could for example say with the dative of place: Wann gingen Sie in der Fabrik umher?, because you ask: Where, in what place were they going around?

Edited by Cabaire on 22 June 2011 at 9:54pm

3 persons have voted this message useful



worldgk
Newbie
India
Joined 4908 days ago

2 posts - 2 votes

 
 Message 8 of 8
25 June 2011 at 7:31am | IP Logged 
Wann gingen Sie gestern in die Fabrik?
Ich ging um 10 Uhr in die Fabrik or in die Fabrik. ?

The translation goes like this.

Ich ging um 10 Uhr in die Fabrik
I went into the factory by 10 'o' clock

Ich ging um 10 Uhr in der Fabrik
I went at 10 'o' clock in the factory
   
Cna u pls help me?


1 person has voted this message useful



If you wish to post a reply to this topic you must first login. If you are not already registered you must first register


Post ReplyPost New Topic Printable version Printable version

You cannot post new topics in this forum - You cannot reply to topics in this forum - You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum - You cannot create polls in this forum - You cannot vote in polls in this forum


This page was generated in 0.2813 seconds.


DHTML Menu By Milonic JavaScript
Copyright 2024 FX Micheloud - All rights reserved
No part of this website may be copied by any means without my written authorization.