Learn Hardcore German: Am Wochenende betreue ich die Besucher im Museum. - On the weekend I look after the visitors in the museum.

German main clauses are verb-second. Because Am Wochenende occupies the first position, the finite verb (betreue) must come second, and the subject (ich) follows it. The neutral order would be: Ich betreue am Wochenende … Both are correct; the fronted time phrase just changes the emphasis.

What does Am mean here?

Am is the contraction of an dem (preposition + definite article in the dative). With times like days, dates, parts of the day, and Wochenende, German typically uses an + dative: am Montag, am Abend, am Wochenende.

Could I write out the contraction as an dem Wochenende?

You can, but in normal speech and writing it’s almost always contracted to am Wochenende. For a recurring habit, use the plural: an den Wochenenden (“on weekends”).

Why is it betreue and not betreuen?

It’s conjugated for the first person singular present:

ich betreue
du betreust
er/sie/es betreut
wir betreuen
ihr betreut
sie/Sie betreuen

Is betreuen a separable verb? How do I form the past?

No—verbs with the prefix be- are inseparable.

Perfekt: Ich habe die Besucher betreut. (no “ge-” added)
Präteritum (simple past): Ich betreute die Besucher. (mostly written style)

What case is die Besucher, and why?

Accusative plural, because betreuen is a transitive verb that takes a direct object (whom do I attend to? the visitors). Accusative plural uses the article die. Singular accusative would be den Besucher.

How do I know Besucher is plural and not singular (since they look the same)?

The article tells you.

Singular accusative: den Besucher
Plural accusative: die Besucher
Without an article, plural is usually clear from context: Ich betreue Besucher = “I attend to visitors.”

What’s the gender and plural of Besucher? How do I say the feminine form?

Masculine singular: der Besucher
Plural: die Besucher (same form)
Feminine singular: die Besucherin
Feminine plural: die Besucherinnen
Inclusive phrasing often uses Besucherinnen und Besucher.

What does im stand for, and why is it dative?

Im = in dem (in + the, dative). With location (where something happens), in takes the dative: im Museum = “in the museum.” With motion into a place, it takes the accusative: ins Museum (= in das).

What’s the difference between im Museum and ins Museum?

im Museum (dative): location, “in the museum.”
ins Museum (accusative): motion toward, “into/to the museum.”
Example: Ich arbeite im Museum. vs. Ich gehe ins Museum.

Can I move im Museum or am Wochenende to other positions?

Yes. German word order is flexible for adverbials:

Ich betreue am Wochenende die Besucher im Museum.
Im Museum betreue ich am Wochenende die Besucher.
Die Besucher im Museum betreue ich am Wochenende.
The choice changes emphasis, not basic meaning.

Does im Museum describe the visitors or the place where I work?

As written, die Besucher im Museum naturally reads as “the visitors in the museum” (the PP modifies “visitors”). It can also be understood as the place of the action. To make the location unambiguously adverbial, front it: Im Museum betreue ich die Besucher. To restrict the noun, keep it right after the noun: Ich betreue die Besucher im Museum.

Does am Wochenende mean just “this coming weekend” or “on weekends (in general)”?

Context decides. Am Wochenende can mean the upcoming weekend or a general weekend timeframe. To be explicit about a recurring habit, use an den Wochenenden or add an adverb: Ich betreue am Wochenende meistens …

Any quick pronunciation tips?

betreue: the eu is like “oy” in “boy” → be-TROY-eh.
Besucher: s is voiced (like “z”), ch after u is the harsh sound (as in “Bach”).
Museum: roughly “moo-ZAY-oom”; the s is voiced.
Stress: be-treu-e; Be-su-cher; Mu-se-um.

Do I need a comma anywhere?

No. It’s a simple main clause with no subordinate clauses or lists, so no comma is required.

Should ich be capitalized?

No. ich is lowercase unless it begins the sentence. Only the formal Sie/Ihnen/Ihr is always capitalized.

Why isn’t it im Museums?

Because im already includes the article (in dem), and the dative singular of Museum is dem Museum (no -s). Museums is the genitive singular form (e.g., die Öffnungszeiten des Museums).

Is betreuen the only verb I can use? What are alternatives?

betreuen: to attend to/supervise/guide (staff responsibility; good for museum guides or staff).
sich kümmern um: to take care of (more general, less formal duty).
aufpassen auf: to keep an eye on/supervise (watchfulness).
bedienen: to serve (e.g., customers in a shop/restaurant; less typical for museums).
For museum staff, betreuen or führen (to guide—e.g., Führungen geben) are most idiomatic.