Breakdown of Um zehn. Kommst du mit?
du
you (informal singular)
zehn
ten
um
at (time)
mitkommen
to come along
Questions & Answers about Um zehn. Kommst du mit?
Why does the word mit appear at the very end of the question?
This is because of the separable verb mitkommen (to come along). When you use a separable verb in a standard sentence or a yes/no question like this one, the prefix (in this case, mit) splits off from the main verb (kommst) and jumps all the way to the end of the phrase.
Why is the preposition um used for "at" here?
In German, the preposition um is specifically used to talk about exact clock times. To say "at ten" or "at ten o'clock", you always use um zehn.
The English translation says "Are you coming", but the German sentence just says Kommst du. Why is there no word for "are"?
German does not have a "present continuous" tense (the English "-ing" form). The simple present tense Kommst du translates to both "Do you come?" and "Are you coming?".
Since we are learning about wollen (to want), could I say Willst du mitkommen? instead?
Absolutely! Willst du mitkommen? translates to "Do you want to come along?" which is a great alternative. The sentence here, Kommst du mit? ("Are you coming along?"), is just slightly more direct. Notice that when you use a modal verb like wollen, the verb mitkommen does not separate and stays whole at the end of the sentence!