פעם היינו נפגשים בפינה ליד התחנה, אבל עכשיו אנחנו גרים רחוק יותר.

In this sentence, פעם means in the past / once upon a time / back then, not literally one time.

So:

• פעם היינו נפגשים... = We used to meet... / Back then we would meet...

Hebrew פעם can mean different things depending on context:

• פעם אחת = one time / once
• פעם at the start of a sentence often means once / in the past / formerly

So here it introduces a contrast with עכשיו (now).

Hebrew often expresses used to with:

• a form of היה (to be) in the past
• plus the present-tense participle

So:

• היינו = we were
• נפגשים = meeting / would meet

Together, היינו נפגשים means:

• we used to meet
• we would meet regularly
• we were in the habit of meeting

This structure is very common for repeated past actions.

This is an important distinction.

• נפגשנו = we met
  • usually a completed event or specific occasion
• היינו נפגשים = we used to meet / would meet
  • repeated or habitual action in the past

So:

• פעם נפגשנו בפינה... would sound more like At one point we met at the corner...
• פעם היינו נפגשים בפינה... means We used to meet at the corner (regularly)

The sentence clearly wants the habitual meaning, so היינו נפגשים is the natural choice.

Because in Hebrew, the pattern past of היה + present participle often creates a past habitual meaning.

So even though נפגשים is formally a present-tense form, in:

• היינו נפגשים

the whole phrase means:

• we used to meet
• we would meet

This is not unusual in Hebrew. The present form helps express an ongoing or repeated action, while היינו places it in the past.

נפגשים comes from the root פ-ג-ש relating to meeting. It is in the נפעל binyan.

The basic dictionary form is:

• להיפגש = to meet / to meet each other

In this sentence:

• נפגשים = meeting / meet
• היינו נפגשים = we used to meet

Hebrew often uses להיפגש for to meet, especially when the meaning is mutual, like meet up or meet each other.

The prefix ב־ means in / at.

So:

• פינה = corner
• בפינה = at the corner / in the corner

In this sentence, בפינה means at the corner.

Hebrew often attaches prepositions directly to the noun:

• בבית = in the house
• בעיר = in the city
• בפינה = at the corner

Because התחנה means the station, and the sentence refers to a specific station.

• תחנה = a station
• התחנה = the station
• ליד התחנה = next to the station / near the station

The word ליד means beside / near / next to.

So the phrase is:

• בפינה ליד התחנה = at the corner near the station

ליד often means:

• next to
• beside
• sometimes near

Its exact English translation depends on context.

So:

• ליד התחנה could be next to the station
• or near the station

If the meaning already shown to the learner says near the station, that is perfectly natural. Hebrew ליד often covers both ideas more loosely than English sometimes does.

Yes, it could be omitted.

Hebrew often allows subject pronouns to be left out because the verb already shows the person/number:

• גרים already tells you it is we (or they, depending on context)

So both are possible:

• עכשיו אנחנו גרים רחוק יותר
• עכשיו גרים רחוק יותר

But including אנחנו is very natural here because it adds clarity and emphasis, especially after אבל עכשיו:

• but now we live farther away

It helps make the contrast stronger.

גרים is the masculine plural present-tense form of לגור (to live / reside).

Here the sentence says:

• עכשיו אנחנו גרים... = Now we live...

Since it is talking about the present situation, Hebrew uses the present tense.

Forms of לגור in the present include:

• גר = he lives
• גרה = she lives
• גרים = they/we live (masculine plural or mixed group)
• גרות = they/we live (feminine plural)

So אנחנו גרים means we live.

Good question. Hebrew present-tense verbs agree with gender and number.

• אנחנו גרים = we live (masculine plural or mixed group)
• אנחנו גרות = we live (all-female group)

So if the speakers are both female, you would normally say:

• עכשיו אנחנו גרות רחוק יותר

But if the group is mixed, or if gender is unspecified in many learning materials, Hebrew usually uses the masculine plural form as the default.

The same applies earlier in the sentence:

• היינו נפגשים = masculine/mixed
• היינו נפגשות = all-female

Literally:

• רחוק = far
• יותר = more

So:

• רחוק יותר = more far → natural English: farther / further away

Hebrew often forms comparatives with:

• יותר = more

Examples:

• גדול יותר = bigger
• מהיר יותר = faster
• רחוק יותר = farther

So the sentence means:

• now we live farther away

Because Hebrew רחוק already carries the idea of distance, and in many contexts English adds away where Hebrew does not need an extra word.

So:

• גרים רחוק = live far
• גרים רחוק יותר = live farther away

English often prefers far away or farther away, but Hebrew simply uses רחוק.

אבל means but, and עכשיו means now.

Together they create a strong contrast:

• פעם... אבל עכשיו...
• Back then... but now...

This is a very common Hebrew pattern for contrasting past and present.

So the sentence structure is basically:

• We used to do X, but now Y is different.

Yes, but the tone would change slightly.

• עכשיו = now; common, conversational, everyday
• כיום = nowadays / these days; a bit more formal or general

So:

• אבל עכשיו אנחנו גרים רחוק יותר sounds natural in normal speech.
• אבל כיום אנחנו גרים רחוק יותר is also possible, but slightly more formal and maybe a bit less personal/immediate.

Not exactly a fixed expression, but it is a very natural combination.

It breaks down as:

• בפינה = at the corner
• ליד התחנה = near the station

Together:

• at the corner near the station

A learner should notice that Hebrew often stacks location phrases this way without extra linking words.

Yes. Depending on the translation style, היינו נפגשים can be rendered as:

• we used to meet
• we would meet

Both express repeated past action.

In teaching contexts, used to meet is often clearer, because English would meet can sometimes be misunderstood. But grammatically both are possible translations here.