A Door Into Hindi: Lesson 6

2. Special dative forms

3. Dative constructions

4. The Infinitive as a Noun

Culture Notes

Supplemental Materials

Devanagari Writing System

Digital Dictionaries

Other Resources

6.3	Dative constructions

Here is a list of six dative constructions.

Note that the verb and auxiliary verb cannot agree with a noun or pronoun followed by को , even when that noun or pronoun functions as the subject of the sentence in the English translation. A noun or pronoun in the dative case is blocked so that the verb must agree with something else, as indicated in the table below.

A. Use the dative case where in English you would say "to X", especially with the verb "to give to X":

हम राम को संतरा देंगे।

"We will give Ram an orange."

मुझे दो रुपये दीजिये।

"Please give me two rupees."

B. Use the dative case with चािहये expressing "need" with nouns: (Note: चािहये is not a normal verb. If the thing you need is plural, it may become चािहयें but this is optional)

आप को कौनसा फल चाहिये?	"What kind of fruit do you need?"
आप को कौनसे फल चाहियें?	"What kind of fruits do you need?"
हम को पैसे चाहिये।	"We need money."
इस को क्या चाहिये?	"What does he need?"

C. Use the dative case with चािहये to express "should" with an infinitive verb: (Note: चािहये never changes in this construction)

तुम को वहाँ जाना चाहिये।	"You should go there."
इन को खाना चाहिये।	"They should eat."
आप को सुनना चाहिये।	"You should listen."

D. Use the dative case with पसंद to express liking: X को Y पसंद है = "X likes Y" or literally "Y is pleasing to X." (Note that the verb agrees with Y, not X)

सीता को ये कपड़े पसंद हैं।	"Sita likes these clothes."
इस को मैं पसंद हूँ।	"He likes me."
आप को कौनसा फल पसंद है?	"What kind of fruit do you like?"

E. Use the dative case to express possession of an intangible thing, like an emotion, knowledge, a fever, or work. (Note the verb agrees with the thing "possessed")

मेरे भाई को बुख़ार है।	"My brother has a fever."
क्या आप को मुझ से प्रेम है?	"Do you love me?" (Literally: "Do you have love with me?")
मुझे इस से ज़रूरी काम है।	"I have important work with him."
क्या आपको मालूम है? क्या आपको पता है?	Do you know?

F. Use the dative case for direct objects: (Note: you MUST use Dative with animate direct objects. For inanimate direct objects, Dative is optional)

मैं इस को लाऊँगी।	"I will bring him."
वह मुझे देखती है।	"She sees me."
मैं संतरों को ख़रीद रहा हूँ।	"I'm buying oranges." (Dat. optional)

Note that the dative constructions for emotions (love, liking, etc.) have a parallel Nominative construction with the verb करना. Don't get the two mixed up!

Dative construction		Nominative Construction
मुझे यह फ़िल्म पसंद है।	"This film is pleasing to me"	मैं यह फ़िल्म पसंद करती हूँ।	"I like this film."
क्या आप को इस से प्रेम है?	"Do you have love with her?"	क्या आप इस से प्रेम करते हैं?	"Do you love her?"

See Snell's Teach Yourself Hindi (2000)
Section 4.4 page 55