# Weird use of dative case



## chontaleno

Hi!
I would like to know what's up with the use of the dative case in this sentence

Jsem zvědav, co tomu řekne.

This sentence is translated to_ I wonder/I'm curious what s/he'll say _in my book and my question now is why _to _stands in the dative case when, according to the book, I'm not wondering to whom s/he'll say something in the sentence. And even though that would be the case wouldn't an animate pronoun be more appropriate such as _(je)mu _or _jí_? 

Lastly, if I would have said the example sentence, I would have said it like _Jsem zvědav, co to řekne._ Would that have been incorrect?

Thank you


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## Enquiring Mind

Welcome to the forum, chontaleno! 



chontaleno said:


> Jsem zvědav, co tomu řekne.
> 
> This sentence is translated to_ I wonder/I'm curious what s/he'll say _in my book and my question now is why _to _stands in the dative case


I'm sure there's a grammatical explanation, but it is likely to be very complicated. 
Of course, you could also say in English: "I suggest we go out for a walk. What do you say *to that?" *

Jsem zvědav, co mu _*řekne*_. "I wonder what he'll _*say *_to him."  Or "I wonder what he'll *tell *him."
Jsem zvědav, co řekne _*jemu*_. "I wonder what he'll tell _*him*_. Or "I wonder what he'll say to *him*." 
Jsem zvědav, co *jemu* řekne. "I wonder what he'll tell _*him*_. Or "I wonder what he'll say to *him*." 

_Jsem zvědav, co to řekne._ "I wonder what it will say." (You're hardly likely to say this in English.)

Bohužel tak tomu je!  That's how it is, I'm afraid! (Another "weird" use of the dative )


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## chontaleno

Thank you so much for both your welcome and your explanations! 
And well, regarding this peculiar use of the dative, I guess that it's just one of those things with languages that you'll just have to deal with and learn by heart instead of trying to understand them...


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## Enquiring Mind

Přesně tak!   Není _tomu_ konec!


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