einem

Einem is the dative singular form of the German indefinite article ein. It accompanies masculine and neuter nouns in the dative case and is used to mark the indirect object or to follow prepositions that require the dative.

In practice, inklusive examples: Ich gebe einem Mann das Buch. Wir helfen einem Kind. Zu einem Freund gehen. After prepositions such as in, mit, zu, or aus, the noun that follows takes the dative form, which for masculine and neuter nouns is typically eIm.

Feminine nouns in the same case use einer in the dative: Ich helfe einer Frau. For reference, the indefinite article does not have a plural form; in the plural, speakers typically use andere constructions such as einige Freunde or keine Freunde.

Etymology and related forms: eins, the numeral one, serves as the basis for the indefinite article ein. The endings change by gender, number, and case: in the dative singular masculine or neuter, the form is einem; feminine dative is einer. Other cases include nominative ein (masculine/neuter) and feminine eine, accusative einen for masculine, etc.

Usage notes: eIm is used only with nouns; it cannot stand alone as a pronoun in most contexts. It is common in everyday German to express indirect objects or to indicate the object of prepositional phrases in the dative. For learners, recognizing the dative pattern helps with sentence construction and with understanding greetings, directions, and reasons introduced by prepositions.