Breakdown of Die Eltern danken dir.
die Eltern
the parents
danken
to thank
dir
you / to you [informal singular, dative]
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Questions & Answers about Die Eltern danken dir.
Why is it dir instead of dich?
In English, "you" is the direct object in "thank you." But in German, the verb danken (to thank) is one of a few special verbs that always require the dative case. Instead of the accusative dich, you must use the dative pronoun dir. It helps to think of danken as meaning "to give thanks to" someone.
Is dir used for the formal or informal "you"?
dir is the informal, singular "you" (the dative form of du). You would use this if the parents are talking to a younger person or a close friend. If they were thanking someone formally, they would say Die Eltern danken Ihnen.
Why does the verb danken end in -en here?
The subject of the sentence is die Eltern (the parents), which is plural. When the subject is "they" (the 3rd person plural), the German verb almost always takes the -en ending, which looks exactly like the dictionary form of the verb.
Is Eltern always a plural word?
Yes! Just like the English word "parents", Eltern is always plural. That is why it uses the plural word for "the" (die) instead of der or das, and why the verb is in the plural form.