Verbs that take dative
Some verbs require dative even when English uses a direct object: helfen, danken, gefallen, gehören, passen, fehlen, antworten and zuhören. Learn the verb and case together.
Understand the idea
A verb's case pattern is part of its meaning and grammar. Verbs such as helfen, danken, gefallen and gehören use dative where an English translation may suggest an ordinary direct object. Different meanings of a verb can also have different constructions.
Build it step by step
Learn a verb with an example object, not just an English gloss. Replace the object by a dative pronoun to test the pattern: mir, dir, ihm, ihr, uns, euch or ihnen. In gefallen constructions, the thing that is pleasing is the subject; the person experiencing the reaction is dative.
See it in a sentence
Die Jacke passt mir.
Ich danke der Lehrerin.
A useful memory aid
Keep short frames together, such as jemandem helfen and jemandem danken. A dictionary's case label is a useful part of the entry.
A common trap
Do not make the person who likes something the subject of gefallen just because English uses I like. German often frames this as something pleasing to me.