Breakdown of Wir treffen uns bei dem Haus.
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
das Haus
the house
wir
we
treffen
to meet
Questions & Answers about Wir treffen uns bei dem Haus.
Why is it treffen uns and not just treffen?
In German, sich treffen is often used as a reciprocal reflexive verb when people arrange to meet each other.
- Wir treffen uns literally: We meet ourselves, but the real meaning is: We meet (each other).
- Without uns, treffen is normally transitive:
- Wir treffen ihn. – We meet him.
- Ich treffe meine Freunde. – I meet my friends.
So:
- Wir treffen uns. – We meet (each other).
- Wir treffen ihn. – We meet him.
In planned meetings among people who mutually meet one another, German usually prefers the reflexive form (sich treffen).
What is the function of uns here exactly?