Questions & Answers about Die Größe passt mir gut.
Why is it mir and not mich?
Because passen governs the dative case. The person for whom something is suitable or fits is in the dative: mir (to me), not mich (me, accusative).
- Correct: Die Größe passt mir (gut).
- Incorrect: Die Größe passt mich (gut). Other common dative verbs: gefallen, helfen, danken, gehören, schmecken, stehen, wehtun.
What are the grammatical roles in the sentence?
- Die Größe: nominative subject (feminine singular; die marks nominative here).
- passt: 3rd person singular present of passen.
- mir: dative pronoun (indirect object) meaning “to me.”
- gut: adverb modifying the verb passen.
What exactly does passen mean? Does it have other uses?
Core meanings:
- Physical fit (size): Die Größe passt mir gut.
- Suitability/convenience (times/plans): 13 Uhr passt mir.
- To match/go with (with zu): Die Farbe passt gut zu deinen Augen. So alone, passen + Dativ = fit/suit someone; with zu, it means “match.”
Why isn’t it passt zu mir in this sentence?