Unit 49 Guidebook: ask for help
KEY PHRASES
Ask for help
Ich ziehe um, kannst du mir helfen?
I am moving, can you help me?
I am moving, can you help me?
Ich kann dir wahrscheinlich helfen, wann ziehst du um?
I can probably help you, when do you move?
I can probably help you, when do you move?
Warum hilfst du deinem Bruder nicht?
Why aren't you helping your brother?
Why aren't you helping your brother?
Mir tut der Rücken seit Dienstag weh.
My back has been hurting me since Tuesday.
My back has been hurting me since Tuesday.
Ich habe viele Sachen, aber du hilfst mir, richtig?
I have a lot of things, but you are helping me, correct?
I have a lot of things, but you are helping me, correct?
Oh nein, mir tut der Fuß weh, ich kann dir nicht helfen.
Oh no, my foot is hurting me, I can't help you.
Oh no, my foot is hurting me, I can't help you.
TIP
Dative... but when?
Remember, if someone is receiving something, you’ll need the dative case! Think of the English sentence She gives a ring to me — to me would get the dative case!
Sie gibt mir einen Ring.
She gives a ring to me.
She gives a ring to me.
You also use dative after words like aus, mit and zu.
Ich spiele mit ihrer Katze.
I play with her cat.
I play with her cat.
If you say that something is in, hinter, or zwischen, you’ll need to use the dative.
Er kocht in der Küche.
He cooks in the kitchen.
He cooks in the kitchen.
Finally, special verbs like danken, folgen, gehören, or helfen use the dative as well!
Wir helfen unserer Großmutter.
We help our grandmother.
We help our grandmother.