A grammar label, not an everyday English word. In some languages a noun (or pronoun) changes its shape to show its job in the sentence. The dative is the shape you use for the person or thing you give something to, or do something for — the one who receives, not the thing that is given. In “I gave my sister a book,” my sister is that person.

A grammar label這是一個文法標籤，not an everyday English word不是日常英文用詞。In some languages在某些語言裡，a noun (or pronoun) changes its shape一個名詞（或代名詞）會改變形狀 to show its job in the sentence來顯示它在句子裡扮演的角色。The dativeDative（與格） is the shape you use for the person or thing you give something to, or do something for就是用在「你把某個東西給了誰」或「你為誰做了某件事」的那個對象身上的形狀——the one who receives, not the thing that is given是接收的那一方，不是被給出去的那個東西。In "I gave my sister a book,"在「I gave my sister a book」這句話裡，my sister is that personmy sister 就是那個對象。

English mostly shows this with word order and little words like to and for, not with a special ending. German, Latin, Russian, and Greek still have a real dative form; Taiwan students often meet it first in German class (dem Mann, der Frau).

English mostly shows this with word order and little words like to and for英文大部分是靠語序和 to、for 這種小字來表示這個，not with a special ending而不是靠特別的字尾變化。German, Latin, Russian, and Greek still have a real dative form德文、拉丁文、俄文，和希臘文，都還有真正的與格形式；Taiwan students often meet it first in German class台灣學生通常最先是在德文課裡遇到它（dem Mann, der Frau)（dem Mann、der Frau）。

People also say dative as an adjective: the dative case, a dative ending. Though actually, English used to have dative endings too, centuries ago, and a few old traces remain in pronouns (give me the book). Some school books still stamp “dative” on English to/for phrases, but that is a Latin name laid over a language that does not really mark it that way any more.

People also say dative as an adjective大家也會把 dative 當形容詞用：the dative case, a dative endingthe dative case、a dative ending。Though actually不過實際上，English used to have dative endings too, centuries ago英文以前幾百年前也有與格字尾，and a few old traces remain in pronouns現在代名詞裡還留著一點痕跡（give me the book)（give me the book）。Some school books still stamp "dative" on English to/for phrases有些教科書還是會在英文的 to/for 片語上標「dative」，but that is a Latin name laid over a language that does not really mark it that way any more但那是把一個拉丁文的名稱，套在一個現在其實已經不再那樣標記的語言上。

You need this word when you talk about other languages, not when you buy bread.

You need this word你需要這個詞 when you talk about other languages是在談論其他語言的時候，not when you buy bread不是在買麵包的時候。