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Verbs that take the dative

These common verbs have a single object, and it is in the Dativ, even where English uses a direct object.

helfen helpdanken thankgefallen please, be likedgehören belong toantworten answerfolgen followglauben believe (sb)gratulieren congratulatepassen fit, suitschmecken taste good tofehlen be missingvertrauen trust

Das Buch gefällt mir.

With gefallen, schmecken, fehlen, the structure is reversed compared with English: "I like the book" = Das Buch gefällt mir (the book pleases me).

Verbs with two objects: person in the dative, thing in the accusative

gebenschenkenzeigenerklärenbringenschickenleihenempfehlen

Ich schenke meiner Schwester ein Buch.

Word order: with two nouns, dative then accusative. With two pronouns, accusative then dative: Ich schenke es ihr.

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