The Indirect Object
When you give a gift or do a favor, your sentence usually has two objects: the direct object (the thing given) and the indirect object (the recipient).
In Dutch, you can express the recipient without a preposition like "to" or "for." To do this, place the indirect object before the direct object.
| The woman gives the girl the present. | De vrouw geeft het meisje het cadeau. |
| I give my colleague the special chocolate. | Ik geef mijn collega de speciale chocolade. |
Using Prepositions: Aan and Voor
Alternatively, you can use a preposition to indicate the recipient. Use aan (to) for giving or handing things over, and voor (for) for doing favors or getting things.
When you use a preposition, the indirect object phrase usually moves after the direct object.
| The woman gives the present to the girl, because she is sweet. | De vrouw geeft het cadeau aan het meisje, want ze is lief. |
| Today I am getting the special chocolate for him. | Vandaag haal ik de speciale chocolade voor hem. |
Flexible Word Order
Both structures are grammatically correct and often interchangeable. This flexibility is known as dative alternation. You can choose either format depending on what flows best or what part of the sentence you want to emphasize.
| He grants the neighbor the favor. | Hij verleent de buurvrouw de gunst. |
| Why does he grant the favor to the neighbor? | Waarom verleent hij de gunst aan de buurvrouw? |