Treba im pomoć.

to need

Breakdown of Treba im pomoć.

• pomoć: help
• im: them (dative short form)

Questions & Answers about Treba im pomoć.

Why is the verb treba in the singular even though im means “to them” (plural)?

Because the verb agrees with the subject, not with the dative pronoun. In Treba im pomoć, the subject is pomoć (“help”), which is singular, so the verb is singular: treba. If the thing needed were plural, you’d use plural agreement:

• Trebaju im stolice. = They need chairs.
• Treba im stolica. = They need a chair.

What does im mean, and what form is it?

im is the unstressed dative plural clitic of “they,” meaning “to them.” It marks the experiencer/beneficiary with verbs like trebati in this pattern.

Other dative clitics:

• mi = to me
• ti = to you (singular)
• mu = to him
• joj = to her
• nam = to us
• vam = to you (plural)
• im = to them

Example swaps:

• Treba mi pomoć. = I need help.
• Treba ti pomoć. = You need help.
• Treba mu/joj pomoć. = He/She needs help.

What case is pomoć here, and why?