Which case is used to express the indirect object in Latin?

The dative case is used in Latin to express the indirect object of a sentence. An indirect object typically receives the direct object or benefits from the action of the verb. In a sentence such as “I give the book to the student,” “the student” is the indirect object because they are the recipient of the book, which is the direct object. In Latin, the direct object would be in the accusative case (as it is the thing being given), while the recipient would be in the dative case.

To further illustrate, consider the verb “dare,” which means “to give.” When you construct a sentence with this verb, the subject takes the nominative case, the direct object takes the accusative case, and the recipient takes the dative case. Therefore, the use of the dative case is essential in Latin to clearly identify who is affected by the action performed in the sentence.