……
Breakdown of Wir treffen uns um Viertel vor sieben am Treffpunkt vor dem Laden.
wir
we
vor
in front of
um
at
an
at
treffen
to meet
uns
each other
der Laden
the shop
sieben
seven
das Viertel
the quarter
der Treffpunkt
the meeting point
Questions & Answers about Wir treffen uns um Viertel vor sieben am Treffpunkt vor dem Laden.
Why is there uns in “Wir treffen uns”?
Uns is the reflexive pronoun for the first-person plural. The verb sich treffen means “to meet (each other).” So Wir treffen uns literally “We meet ourselves,” i.e. “We are meeting each other.”
Why do we use um before the time expression?
In German, the preposition um is required when giving a precise clock time. It corresponds to English “at” in “at 7 o’clock.” Hence um Viertel vor sieben = “at quarter to seven.”
What does Viertel vor sieben mean exactly?
Viertel vor sieben = “a quarter (15 minutes) before seven.” In other words, 6:45. Note that Germans often use Viertel nach (quarter past), halb (half, i.e. 30 minutes before), and Viertel vor for time expression.
Why is Treffpunkt capitalized?
Every noun in German is written with an initial capital letter. Treffpunkt (“meeting point”) is a compound noun, so it must start with a capital T.
What is am short for in “am Treffpunkt”?
Am is a contraction of the preposition an + the dative article dem. So am Treffpunkt = an dem Treffpunkt = “at the meeting point.”
Why is it vor dem Laden and not another case?
The preposition vor can take either accusative or dative. Here it indicates a static location (“in front of the shop”), so it takes the dative. Laden is masculine, so dem Laden.
What is the word-order rule for time and place in this sentence?
German usually follows the Time – Manner – Place (TMP) sequence.
- Time: um Viertel vor sieben
- Manner (if any): (none here)
- Place: am Treffpunkt vor dem Laden
Could I swap the order and say “Wir treffen uns am Treffpunkt vor dem Laden um Viertel vor sieben”?
Yes, you can, and it remains grammatically correct. The emphasis shifts slightly, but because um Viertel vor sieben (time) still comes before or after the place phrase, both versions are perfectly natural in spoken and written German.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“How do German cases work?”
German has four grammatical cases: nominative (subject), accusative (direct object), dative (indirect object), and genitive (possession). The case determines the form of articles and adjectives. For example, "the dog" is "der Hund" as a subject but "den Hund" as a direct object.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning GermanMaster German — from Wir treffen uns um Viertel vor sieben am Treffpunkt vor dem Laden to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions