The dative case may be used in German for any one of three reasons:

1. The sentence has an indirect object - a noun or pronoun that receives the direct object from the subject.
2. The noun or pronoun follows one of these prepositions: aus, ausser, bei, mit nach, seit, von, zu or gegenüber. These prepositions require the use of the dative case - always.
3. The noun or pronoun follows one of these prepositons AND location is being shown: in, an, auf, vor, hinter, über, unter, neben, zwischen. These prepositons also may require the use of the Accusative Case when movement to a new position is being shown. More on that later.
4. The Dative Case is also required after certain verb -- even though it appears that the noun is only a direct object. Some of these verbs are:

glauben (with a person as object), gefallen, gehören, danken, folgen, antworten, helfen and many more.

The indirect object is a noun (person/place/thing) that receives the object from the subject:

• Hans gibt seiner Mutter einen Kuss.
• Wir haben dem Lehrer eine Schachtel Pralinen gebracht.

Keep in mind that every sentence that has an indirect object also has a direct object, and therefore an Accusative Case element:

• Hans gibt seiner Mutter einen Kuss.
• Wir haben dem Lehrer eine Schachtel Pralinen gebracht.

In the Dative Case the following changes occur in the DEFINITE ARTICLES:

The following changes occur in the EIN WORDS:

These changes occur with all of the EIN WORDS which are:

The following changes occur in the DIESER WORDS:

These changes in all of the DIESER WORDS which are:

The following changes occur in PRONOUNS in the accusative and dative case:

The following changes occur in ADJECTIVE ENDINGS FOLLOWING DEFINITE ARTICLES AND DIESER WORDS in the Accusative Case:

The following changes occur in ADJECTIVE ENDINGS FOLLOWING INDEFINITE ARTICLES AND EIN WORDS in the Accusative Case:

The following changes occur in ADJECTIVE ENDINGS which are unpreceded by any noun marker.