Verbs with Fixed Prepositions (Dative)
Just as some verbs pair with prepositions that require the Accusative case, other verbs pair with prepositions that always require the Dative case. Whenever you learn a new verb, be sure to memorize its preposition and the case that follows it.
As a quick reminder, the Dative articles are dem (masculine/neuter), der (feminine), and den (plural).
Congratulating: gratulieren zu
To congratulate someone on something, German uses gratulieren zu. Because zu always takes the Dative, the masculine noun der Abschluss (graduation) becomes dem Abschluss. Remember that zu + dem contracts to zum.
Dreaming: träumen von
In English you dream of or about things. In German, you use träumen von. The preposition von always takes the Dative case, so the feminine noun die Feier (celebration) takes the article der.
Participating: teilnehmen an
To say you are taking part in something, use teilnehmen an. Because teilnehmen is a separable verb, the prefix teil moves to the very end of the sentence.
Giving a speech and celebrating
At a celebration, you might hear a speech. To "give a speech" in German, use the phrase eine Rede halten (literally: to hold a speech). Afterwards, the audience (das Publikum) might clap (klatschen).
Conversing: sich unterhalten mit
To talk or chat with someone, use the reflexive verb sich unterhalten, followed by the preposition mit.
Saying goodbye: sich verabschieden von
When it is time to leave, you say goodbye to people, but in German, you say goodbye from them using the reflexive verb sich verabschieden von.
Notice two things in the examples below: von + dem contracts to vom, and plural nouns in the Dative case take the article den and often add an -n to the end of the noun (like den Kollegen).
