Breakdown of После занятия мы заехали на заправку, потому что в баке почти не было бензина.
в
in
быть
to be
на
to
не
not
Questions & Answers about После занятия мы заехали на заправку, потому что в баке почти не было бензина.
Why is it После занятия and not После занятие?
Because после requires the genitive case.
- занятие (nominative) → занятия (genitive)
So после занятия = after the lesson/class.
What exactly does занятие mean here—lesson, class, or activity?
Занятие is a general word meaning a class/lesson/session (often a scheduled study class, training session, etc.).
Depending on context it can be class, lesson, or session. In this sentence, После занятия most naturally means After class / after the lesson.
Why is the verb заехали used instead of something like поехали?
Заехать means to stop by / drop in (somewhere) on the way, often briefly and as an extra stop.
So мы заехали на заправку implies: we were going somewhere (or coming from somewhere) and made a stop at the gas station.
Is заехали perfective or imperfective, and why does that matter?