Dative – verbs with a dative object (pure dative, no preposition etc)
1) Expressing the idea TO:
angehören, gehören – to belong to
drohen – to threaten (be a threat to)
genügen – to be enough
nützen – to be of use to
sich nähern – to draw nearer to
schaden – to do harm, damage to
wehtun – to hurt
weichen – to give way to
erliegen – to succumb to
geschehen, passieren, widerfahren, zustoßen – to happen to
gleichen, ähneln – to be similar to, like
entsprechen – to correspond to
Giving (Dative of Advantage):
danken – to thank (give thanks to)
dienen – to serve (give service to)
beistehen – to give support to
gehorchen – to obey (give obedience to)
gratulieren – to congratulate
helfen – to help
imponieren – to impress
schmeicheln – to flatter
glauben – to believe, vertrauen – to trust (also, misstrauen – to mistrust)
Attention:
auffallen – to strike one’s attention, notice
einfallen – to occur to
zusehen, zuschauen – to watch
zuhören – to listen to
zulächeln – to smile at
2) Expressing the idea FROM:
entstammen – to arise out of, derive from
entfliehen – to escape from
entgehen – to escape from, avoid, elude (fig. also)
entkommen – to get away from
entspringen – to arise out of, proceed from
fehlen – to be missing from
3) Expressing OPPOSITION and POSITION (in front, behind):
widersprechen – to contradict
widerstehen – to resist
sich (jm) widersetzen – to oppose (so)
begegnen – to meet, encounter
vorangehen, vorausgehen – to go ahead of, precede
folgen, nachgehen, nachlaufen – to follow
nachsehen – to follow with one’s eyes
4) Others:
gelingen – to succeed, misslingen – to fail
Translate into German (hints for verb to use in white lettering after each
sentence):
That impressed him very much. (imponieren)
Her pale face struck him. (auffallen)
Don’t contradict your parents. (widersprechen)
What is the matter with you? (fehlen, or widerfahren, geschehen etc)
It hasn’t escaped me that he doesn’t believe me. (entgehen, glauben)
He went ahead of the others. (voran-, vorausgehen)
He has succumbed to his illness. (erliegen)
They were approaching the railway station. (sich nähern)
I have just met him in the street. (begegnen)
That would never have occurred to me. (einfallen)
Wednesday will suit us very well. (passen)
He pleases all his superiors because he flatters them. (gefallen, schmeicheln)
Many important politicians were present at the ceremony. (beiwohnen)
She devoted herself to studying history. (sich widmen)
He smiled at the person sitting opposite. (zulächeln)
Dative verb sentences
(suggested version in white lettering below)
1. It had not escaped his notice that the car had no safety belt.
Dass dem Auto ein Sicherheitsgurt fehlte, war ihm nicht entgangen.
2. I can’t resist the temptation to say something funny.
Der Versuchung, etwas Komisches zu sagen, kann ich nicht widerstehen.
3. It goes against my nature to shake his hand.
Es widersteht mir / widerstrebt meinem Wesen, ihm die Hand zu geben.
4. This painting was a product of his imagination.
Dieses Gemälde ist seiner Phantasie entstanden.
5. The world is your oyster if you are brave.
Dem Mutigen gehört die Welt.
6. One cannot argue with the fact that history repeats itself.
Die Geschichte wiederholt sich: Dem ist nicht zu widersprechen.
7. The government is trying to prevent these circumstances from arising
(again).
Diesen Umständen [Einer Wiederholung dieser Umstände] versucht die
Regierung entgegenzuwirken.
8. We owe this new national consciousness to the reunification of
Germany.
Dieses neue Nationalbewusstsein verdanken wir der Wiedervereinigung
Deutschlands.
9. He gave into temptation.
Er erlag der Versuchung.
10. The rain was followed by a rainbow and sunshine.
Dem Regen folgten Regenbogen und Sonnenschein. [Der Regen wich +
dat]
11. The country suffered a shattering defeat.
Das Land erlag einer zerschmetternden Niederlage.