Der Hausmeister kommt vorbei und schaut sich den Rauchmelder in meiner Küche an.

The caretaker comes by and takes a look at the smoke detector in my kitchen.

Breakdown of Der Hausmeister kommt vorbei und schaut sich den Rauchmelder in meiner Küche an.

• und: and
• in: in
• die Küche: the kitchen
• mein: my
• den: the; (masculine, accusative)
• vorbeikommen: to come by
• der Hausmeister: the caretaker
• der Rauchmelder: the smoke detector
• sich anschauen: to take a look at

Questions & Answers about Der Hausmeister kommt vorbei und schaut sich den Rauchmelder in meiner Küche an.

Why does vorbei come with kommt—what does vorbeikommen mean here?

vorbeikommen is a common verb meaning to come by / drop by / come over briefly.
In the sentence, Der Hausmeister kommt vorbei implies the caretaker is making a short visit (often to check or fix something), not “passing by without stopping.”

---

Why are there two verbs: kommt and schaut? Is this one sentence or two?

It’s one sentence with two actions joined by und:

• (Er) kommt vorbei
• (Er) schaut ... an
  German often omits repeating the subject (der Hausmeister) after und, just like English: “The caretaker comes by and looks at …”

---

Why is it schaut sich ... an instead of just schaut ... an?

sich etwas ansehen is a fixed expression meaning to look at / inspect / take a look at something (often carefully).
The sich is a reflexive pronoun that’s part of the idiom. In this context it suggests inspection rather than a quick glance.

---

What is the grammar of schaut ... an—why is an separated?

anschauen is a separable verb (an- + schauen).
In a normal main clause, the prefix goes to the end:

• Er schaut sich den Rauchmelder an.
  In an infinitive/“to”-form it stays together:
• Er will sich den Rauchmelder anschauen.

---

Why is it den Rauchmelder and not der Rauchmelder?

Because den Rauchmelder is the direct object (accusative).
Rauchmelder is masculine (der Rauchmelder in nominative), and masculine accusative changes der → den.

---

What case is in meiner Küche and why is it meiner?

Here in describes a location (not movement), so it takes the dative: in + dative.
Küche is feminine (die Küche), so dative is der Küche. The possessive matches that:

• in meiner Küche (dative feminine)

---

How do I know it’s location (dative) and not movement (accusative) with in?

With two-way prepositions like in, the rule is:

• Where? (location) → dative
• Where to? (movement/destination) → accusative

Here, the smoke detector is already in the kitchen and he’s inspecting it there → location → dative (in meiner Küche).
If it were movement: Er geht in meine Küche = “He goes into my kitchen” (accusative).

---

What does sich den Rauchmelder ... ansehen/anschauen imply—looking or checking?

It often implies checking/inspecting rather than just “looking.” In everyday German, sich etwas anschauen / ansehen can mean anything from “have a look” to “inspect,” and with something like a Rauchmelder it strongly suggests an inspection (e.g., functionality, battery, placement).

---

Is Hausmeister best translated as “janitor” or “caretaker”?

Hausmeister can cover several roles depending on the building: caretaker, building superintendent, janitor, sometimes maintenance person. In apartment buildings, it often means someone who handles repairs, checks equipment, coordinates contractors, etc.

---

Why is the word order schaut sich den Rauchmelder in meiner Küche an—can I move in meiner Küche?

Yes, you can move it, but the given order is very natural. Common options include:

• ... schaut sich den Rauchmelder in meiner Küche an. (focus on which smoke detector)
• ... schaut sich in meiner Küche den Rauchmelder an. (focus slightly more on the location)
• ... schaut sich den Rauchmelder an, in meiner Küche. (more like an afterthought/added detail)

In the original, in meiner Küche sits next to den Rauchmelder because it specifies which smoke detector (the one located in the kitchen).