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German Dative Verbs

  Tags: Syntax | German
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smoketheme12
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United States
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 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

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Cabaire
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Germany
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 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)
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smoketheme12
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 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 :)
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christian
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 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?"
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worldgk
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India
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 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?
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Arekkusu
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 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.
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Cabaire
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Germany
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 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

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worldgk
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India
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 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?


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