Ich bin gespannt, ob wir gleichzeitig ankommen.

I am curious whether we will arrive at the same time.

Breakdown of Ich bin gespannt, ob wir gleichzeitig ankommen.

• sein: to be
• ich: I
• wir: we
• ob: whether
• ankommen: to arrive
• gleichzeitig: at the same time

Questions & Answers about Ich bin gespannt, ob wir gleichzeitig ankommen.

What does gespannt sein mean in this sentence?

Gespannt sein literally means to be tense, but in everyday German it’s used to express curiosity or eager anticipation about an outcome. In English you could render it as “I’m curious to see” or “I’m really looking forward to finding out.”

Why is there a comma before ob?

In German, any subordinate clause introduced by a conjunction like ob, dass, weil etc. must be separated from the main clause by a comma. Here ob wir gleichzeitig ankommen is that subordinate clause.

Why does the verb ankommen appear at the end of the clause?

German subordinate clauses follow the rule “verb-last”: the conjugated verb (or the entire verb phrase, in the case of separable verbs) goes to the very end. Hence ankommen rather than wir ankommen gleichzeitig.

Why isn’t the prefix an separated from kommen here?

In main clauses separable prefixes often split off (e.g. Ich komme an), but in subordinate clauses the full verb—including prefix—stays together in final position: ... ob wir gleichzeitig ankommen.

Why is the present tense used instead of a future tense?

German typically uses the present tense with a future meaning when the context makes the timing clear. There’s no need for werden here; the listener knows you’re talking about your upcoming arrival.

What’s the difference between gleichzeitig and zur gleichen Zeit?

Both mean “at the same time.”

• gleichzeitig is a single adverb and more concise.
• zur gleichen Zeit is a prepositional phrase, slightly more formal or emphatic.
  In casual speech you’ll often hear gleichzeitig.

Why do we use ob and not dass?

Ob introduces an indirect yes/no question (whether), showing you’re uncertain about the outcome.
dass simply introduces a statement (that). Saying dass wir gleichzeitig ankommen would imply you already know it’s going to happen, which contradicts the sense of anticipation in Ich bin gespannt.

Could I replace Ich bin gespannt, ob ... with Ich freue mich darauf, ob ...?

No. sich freuen auf usually takes a noun or an Infinitiv clause (e.g. Ich freue mich darauf, uns wiederzusehen.) It doesn’t pair with an ob-clause. If you want to express hope rather than curiosity, use Ich hoffe, dass wir gleichzeitig ankommen.