Maria wartet am Bahnhof.

Maria is waiting at the train station.

Breakdown of Maria wartet am Bahnhof.

• dem: the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
• der Bahnhof: the train station
• warten: to wait
• an: at
• Maria: Maria

Questions & Answers about Maria wartet am Bahnhof.

What does am stand for, and why is it used here?

am is the contraction of an dem. The preposition an is a two-way preposition meaning “at/on,” and with a stationary location (answering “Wo?” = “Where?”) it takes the dative case, hence dem. So an dem Bahnhof → am Bahnhof is the normal, idiomatic form.

Which case is Bahnhof in, and how can I tell?

It’s dative singular: dem Bahnhof (hidden inside am). With two-way prepositions like an, you use:

• Dative for location (Wo?): am Bahnhof
• Accusative for direction (Wohin?): an den Bahnhof

Could I say im Bahnhof or beim Bahnhof instead of am Bahnhof? What’s the difference?

• im Bahnhof = inside the station building (concourse, hall).
• am Bahnhof = at the station/premises (on or around the station area, platforms included).
• beim Bahnhof = near/by the station (in the vicinity, not necessarily on the premises).

Why is the verb wartet and not warten or wartest?

Because Maria is third person singular, present tense. Quick conjugation of warten (present):

• ich warte
• du wartest
• er/sie/es wartet
• wir warten
• ihr wartet
• sie/Sie warten

How do I say “Maria is waiting for the train”?

Maria wartet am Bahnhof auf den Zug. Use warten auf + accusative (here: den Zug). Don’t use für.

Is warten für ever correct?

Not for “to wait for.” The idiom is always warten auf + accusative. Für doesn’t work here: say Ich warte auf dich, not “für dich.”

Can I switch the word order to Am Bahnhof wartet Maria?

Yes. German is a verb-second language. If you front Am Bahnhof, the finite verb (wartet) stays in second position: Am Bahnhof wartet Maria. Both versions are correct; the fronted version emphasizes the location.

Why is Bahnhof capitalized?

All German nouns are capitalized. Bahnhof is a noun, so it’s capitalized.

What gender is Bahnhof, and what article does it take?

Bahnhof is masculine: der Bahnhof (nom.), den Bahnhof (acc.), dem Bahnhof (dat.). In the sentence you see dem inside am.

What’s the plural of Bahnhof?

die Bahnhöfe. Dative plural: den Bahnhöfen.

How do I express motion toward the station instead of being at it?

Use the accusative with a two-way preposition or use zu:

• an den Bahnhof gehen/fahren (to the station)
• More common: zum Bahnhof (= zu dem Bahnhof)

How do I say “Maria has been waiting for an hour at the station”?

Use seit + dative with the present tense: Maria wartet seit einer Stunde am Bahnhof. (German uses the present for ongoing durations with seit.)

How would I negate this sentence?

• To negate the location: Maria wartet nicht am Bahnhof.
• To negate the action entirely: Maria wartet nicht. Placement of nicht depends on what you negate; put it before the element you’re negating.

Is auf dem Bahnhof correct for “at the station”?

Not in standard usage. Prefer am Bahnhof (at the station) or im Bahnhof (inside). Use auf dem Bahnsteig for “on the platform.”

What’s the difference between warten and erwarten?

• warten (auf + Akk.) = to wait (for): Ich warte auf den Zug.
• erwarten = to expect (someone/something): Ich erwarte den Zug (I expect the train), not that you’re physically waiting.

Do Germans ever use an article with a person’s name, like die Maria?

In some regions/colloquial speech, yes (e.g., die Maria) to indicate familiarity. In neutral standard usage and in writing, you normally say just Maria.

How do I pronounce the sentence?

Rough guide: Ma-REE-ah VAR-tet am BAHN-hohf.

• w sounds like English v.
• The r is a back-of-the-throat German r.
• Bahnhof has a long a (the h lengthens it): “bahn,” and final f is voiceless.