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Wir gehen am Museum vorbei und treffen uns vor dem Eingang.

Wir gehen am Museum vorbei und treffen uns vor dem Eingang.
We go past the museum and meet in front of the entrance.
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Questions & Answers about Wir gehen am Museum vorbei und treffen uns vor dem Eingang.

Why is it am Museum vorbei and not something like vorbei das Museum?

German uses the fixed pattern an + dative + vorbei to say “past [something].” The adverb vorbei can’t take a direct object; the preposition an marks the thing you pass.

  • Correct: Wir gehen an dem Museum vorbei. → contracted: am Museum vorbei
  • Wrong: Wir gehen vorbei das Museum.
  • Wrong: Wir gehen bei dem Museum vorbei. (with vorbei, use an, not bei)
Which case does an take with vorbei?

Always dative, even though you’re moving. Think of it as an idiomatic exception to the “motion = accusative” rule.

  • Masculine: an dem Laden vorbei → am Laden vorbei
  • Feminine: an der Schule vorbei
  • Neuter: am Museum vorbei
  • Plural: an den Häusern vorbei (note the -n in the dative plural: Häuser → Häusern)
Why is it vor dem Eingang and not vor den Eingang?

vor is a two-way preposition (Wechselpräposition). Use:

  • Dative for location (Where?): vor dem Eingang = in front of the entrance (static location).
  • Accusative for direction (To where?): vor den Eingang = to a position in front of the entrance.

Compare:

  • Wir warten vor dem Eingang. (location)
  • Wir gehen vor den Eingang. (movement to that spot)
What exactly does am mean in am Museum?

am is the contraction of an dem.

  • an dem → am
  • Related contractions you’ll see:
    • in dem → im
    • bei dem → beim
Why does vorbei sit at the end? Is vorbeigehen separable?

Yes. vorbeigehen is a separable verb (prefix/adverb vorbei). In a main clause, the finite verb is in second position and the separable part goes to the end:

  • Main clause (present): Wir gehen am Museum vorbei.
  • Subordinate clause: …, dass wir am Museum vorbeigehen.
  • Perfect: Wir sind am Museum vorbeigegangen.
  • With a modal: Wir wollen am Museum vorbeigehen.
Can I also say Wir gehen vorbei am Museum?
Yes, that’s possible and idiomatic, though an + dative + vorbei (i.e., am Museum vorbei) is the most neutral; vorbei am Museum slightly emphasizes the “passing by” action.
Do I really need uns in treffen uns?

For the meaning “meet each other,” yes. German commonly uses the reciprocal reflexive sich treffen:

  • Wir treffen uns vor dem Eingang. = We meet each other… Without the reflexive, treffen is a transitive verb that needs an object:
  • Wir treffen Peter vor dem Eingang. (We meet Peter…) Saying Wir treffen vor dem Eingang without any object sounds incomplete or like “we hit (something) in front of the entrance.”
Where does the reflexive pronoun go in the sentence?

In a main clause, it comes early, right after the finite verb:

  • Wir treffen uns morgen vor dem Eingang. In a subordinate clause, both the reflexive pronoun and the main verb move to the end (with the verb last):
  • …, dass wir uns vor dem Eingang treffen.
Could I say am Eingang or beim Eingang instead of vor dem Eingang?
  • vor dem Eingang = in front of the entrance (emphasizes the space before the doorway, typically outside).
  • am Eingang = at the entrance (in the entrance area, at the doorway).
  • beim Eingang = by/near the entrance (in the vicinity). All are possible; pick the one that matches the intended location nuance.
Can I use other motion verbs like laufen, spazieren, or fahren?

Yes, but be mindful of meaning:

  • gehen = to walk (default for on foot).
  • laufen = to run; in southern German, also “to walk.” If you want to avoid ambiguity, use gehen.
  • spazieren (gehen) = to stroll.
  • fahren = to go/drive/ride (by vehicle). Examples:
  • Wir laufen am Museum vorbei.
  • Wir fahren am Museum vorbei.
Do I need a comma before und here?
No. In German, you don’t put a comma before und when simply linking two coordinated predicates/clauses like this. A comma can be used to separate two independent main clauses for readability, but it’s not needed (and would be unusual) in this short sentence.
How would I say this in the past?
  • Perfect (most common in speech): Wir sind am Museum vorbeigegangen und haben uns vor dem Eingang getroffen.
  • Simple past (common in writing): Wir gingen am Museum vorbei und trafen uns vor dem Eingang.
Where do time expressions go relative to vor dem Eingang?

German tends to follow Time–Manner–Place. Location usually comes near the end:

  • Wir treffen uns heute um drei vor dem Eingang. If you want to emphasize place, you can front it:
  • Vor dem Eingang treffen wir uns heute um drei. (emphasis on place)
What’s the difference between am Museum and im Museum?
  • am Museum = at/by the museum (outside, at its boundary).
  • im Museum = in(side) the museum.
    So: Wir treffen uns am Museum (outside) vs. Wir treffen uns im Museum (inside).
Does vorbei ever mean “over/finished”?

Yes, as a standalone adverb it can mean “over/past” in the temporal sense:

  • Die Gefahr ist vorbei. = The danger is over. In your sentence, though, vorbei is part of the motion verb vorbeigehen (“to go past”).