The dative governance pattern
A small set of common Russian verbs naturally take their object in the dative — not the accusative as you'd expect from English. The trick: think of these verbs as 'do something TO/FOR someone'. Learn the verb together with its case.
помогать / помочь — to help
Even though English says 'help someone' (direct object), Russian says 'help TO someone'. Я помогаю Анне. = I help Anna. Иван помог маме. = Ivan helped mom. Imperfective: помогать (помогаю, помогаешь). Perfective: помочь (помогу, поможешь, помог).
звонить / позвонить — to call (phone)
Russian 'calls TO someone'. Я звоню тебе. = I'm calling you. Я позвонил папе вчера. = I called dad yesterday. Imperfective: звонить. Perfective: позвонить.
верить / поверить — to believe
'Believe TO someone' = trust them. Я верю тебе. = I believe you. Никто не поверил Ивану. = Nobody believed Ivan.
Other common dative-governing verbs
- мешать / помешать — to bother. Не мешай мне работать! = Don't bother me while I work! - отвечать / ответить — to answer. Анна ответила мне. = Anna answered me. - объяснять / объяснить — to explain. Учитель объяснил студентам. = The teacher explained to the students. The pattern: each of these has a person on the receiving end — and the receiver takes the dative.
