Breakdown of Der Zug fährt um zehn Uhr von Gleis drei ab.
die Uhr
the clock
der Zug
the train
um
at
von
from
drei
three
zehn
ten
das Gleis
the track
abfahren
to depart
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Questions & Answers about Der Zug fährt um zehn Uhr von Gleis drei ab.
What does the separable-prefix verb abfahren mean, and why is ab separated from fährt and placed at the end of the sentence?
Abfahren means “to depart” or “to leave.” In German, verbs with separable prefixes (like ab-) split in main clauses: the prefix moves to the end while the verb stem stays in second position. That’s why you see fährt in its usual spot and ab at the very end.
Why is um used before zehn Uhr, and how does um zehn Uhr translate literally?
When telling the exact time by the clock, German uses um + time. So um zehn Uhr literally means “at ten o’clock.” You must include um for precise times.
Why is Uhr capitalized, but zehn is not?
In German, all nouns are capitalized—Uhr is a noun (“hour,” “clock”), so it gets a capital letter. Cardinal numbers like zehn remain lowercase when they function as adjectives or adverbs.
Why is there no article before Gleis drei, and why is von used?
In timetables and announcements, German often drops the definite article before platform numbers: people simply say Gleis drei instead of dem Gleis drei. The preposition von indicates “from,” showing the train departs from that platform.
What case does the preposition von require, and why?
Von always governs the dative case. Formally you’d say vom Gleis drei (a contraction of von dem Gleis drei). In announcements the article is omitted, but the case requirement remains.
Why does um zehn Uhr (time) come before von Gleis drei (place)? Is there a rule?
Yes. German generally follows the “Time–Manner–Place” order. Time expressions like um zehn Uhr normally precede place expressions such as von Gleis drei.
Can I start the sentence with Um zehn Uhr? How would that affect the sentence structure?
Absolutely. If you front Um zehn Uhr, the conjugated verb still must be in second position:
Um zehn Uhr fährt der Zug von Gleis drei ab.
Could we use auf Gleis drei instead of von Gleis drei?
If you simply state location, you use auf Gleis drei (e.g., “Der Zug steht auf Gleis drei.”). But for departure you need abfahren von, so von Gleis drei tells us the train “departs from platform three.”