Any noun can be replaced by a pronoun. Personal pronouns refer to living beings, things or contexts.
Pronouns can be in the nominative, accusative, dative and genitive cases. In other words, they can be inflected.
The following chart shows the personal pronouns in the dative:
| Nominative | |||
| Singular | 1st person: | ich | |
| 2nd person: | du | ||
| 3rd person: | er/sie/es | ||
| Plural | 1st person: | wir | |
| 2nd person: | ihr | ||
| 3rd person: | sie | ||
| The polite form | of address: | Sie | |
| Accusative | |||
| Singular | 1st person: | mich | |
| 2nd person: | dich | ||
| 3rd person: | ihn/sie/es | ||
| Plural | 1st person: | uns | |
| 2nd person: | euch | ||
| 3rd person: | sie | ||
| The polite form | of address: | Sie | |
| Dative | |||
| Singular | 1st person: | mir | |
| 2nd person: | dir | ||
| 3rd person: | ihm/ihr/ihm | ||
| Plural | 1st person: | uns | |
| 2nd person: | euch | ||
| 3rd person: | ihnen | ||
| The polite form | of address: | Ihnen |
Personal pronouns in the dative answer the question "Wem?" (whom).
Examples:
Die Hose gefällt mir.
Wem gefällt die Hose? — Die Hose gefällt mir.
Ich danke Ihnen!
Wem danke ich? — Ich danke Ihnen.