Breakdown of Wir treffen uns auf dem Parkplatz vor dem Supermarkt.
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
wir
we
auf
on
vor
in front of
Questions & Answers about Wir treffen uns auf dem Parkplatz vor dem Supermarkt.
Why is uns used in Wir treffen uns?
In German, treffen can be used reflexively when people agree to meet each other. The pronoun uns indicates “each other” for wir (we). So Wir treffen uns literally means “We meet ourselves,” i.e. “We meet (each other).”
Why do we say auf dem Parkplatz and not in dem Parkplatz?
German prepositions for location depend on how you conceptualize the place. A Parkplatz (parking lot) is treated as a flat or open surface, so you use auf (on). In would imply an enclosed space (e.g. in dem Gebäude, in the building).
Why is dem used in both auf dem Parkplatz and vor dem Supermarkt?
Both auf and vor can express location (answering “Where?”), and when they do, they require the dative case. Der Parkplatz and der Supermarkt are masculine nouns, so their dative singular form is dem.
Could we drop the articles and say auf Parkplatz or vor Supermarkt?
No. With definite places you almost always use the definite article in German. Omitting it sounds unnatural and ungrammatical in this context.