Editing Dative case (section)

==Armenian==
{{clarify|transcriptions needed|date=October 2014}}

In modern [[Eastern Armenian]], the dative is attained by adding any article to the genitive:

: ''dog'' = շուն
: GEN > շան ''(of the dog; dog's)'' with no articles
: DAT > շան'''ը''' or շան'''ն''' ''(to the dog)'' with definite articles (-ն if preceding a vowel)
: DAT > '''մի''' շան ''(to a dog)'' with indefinite article
: DAT > շան'''ս''' ''(to my dog)'' with 1st person possessive article
: DAT > շան'''դ''' ''(to your dog)'' with 2nd person possessive article

There is a general tendency to view -ին as the standard dative suffix, but only because that is its most productive (and therefore common) form. The suffix -ին as a dative marker is nothing but the standard, most common, genitive suffix -ի accompanied by the definite article -ն. But the dative case encompasses indefinite objects as well, which will not be marked by -ին:

: Definite DAT > Ես գիրքը տվեցի '''տղային''': ''(I gave the book '''to the boy''')''
: Indefinite DAT> Ես գիրքը տվեցի '''մի տղայի''': ''(I gave the book '''to a boy''')''

The main function of the dative marking in Armenian is to indicate the receiving end of an action, more commonly the indirect object which in English is preceded by the preposition ''to''. In the use of "giving" verbs like ''give, donate, offer, deliver, sell, bring...'' the dative marks the recipient. With communicative verbs like ''tell, say, advise, explain, ask, answer...'' the dative marks the listener. Other verbs whose indirect objects are marked by the dative case in Armenian are ''show, reach, look, approach...''

Eastern Armenian also uses the dative case to mark the time of an event, in the same way English uses the preposition ''at'', as in ''Meet me at nine o' clock.''