Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: Ми зустрічаємося навпроти входу в магазин. - We meet opposite the entrance to the store.

Ми зустрічаємося = we meet each other / we’re meeting.
Я зустрічаюся з ним = I’m meeting with him (use з/із/зі
- instrumental).
Without it: Ми зустрічаємо гостей = we (go to) meet/greet the guests (direct object).

Can I drop the -ся and just say зустрічаємо?

You can, but it changes the meaning: зустрічаємо normally takes a direct object (we meet someone/something) and doesn’t by itself mean “meet each other.” For a mutual arrangement, keep зустрічаємося or say зустрічаємося з….

Is the present tense here used for a planned future meeting?

Yes. Ukrainian often uses the simple present for scheduled plans, just like English “We’re meeting (later).” Time words make it clear: Ми зустрічаємося завтра о сьомій. If you want a crisp one-time future, use зустрінемося.

What’s the difference between зустрічаємося, зустрінемося, and будемо зустрічатися?

зустрічаємося: present (also used for a scheduled near-future); or habitual.
зустрінемося: perfective future, one complete meeting.
будемо зустрічатися: compound future of the imperfective; ongoing/repeated meetings or emphasis on the process.

Why is входу in that form? What case is it?

Навпроти requires the genitive case. The genitive singular of вхід is входу, so навпроти входу = “opposite the entrance.”

Why is it в магазин and not до магазину after входу? Are both correct?

Both are acceptable after the noun вхід:

вхід у/в магазин = entrance into the shop.
вхід до магазину = entrance to the shop. In everyday speech and on signs, you’ll see both. Your sentence uses …входу в магазин, which is perfectly natural.

What case is магазин here, and why doesn’t it change form?

After в/у meaning “into,” магазин is in the accusative. For inanimate masculine nouns, the accusative looks identical to the nominative, so it stays магазин.

How do I choose between у and в?

They mean the same; choice is for euphony.

After a vowel, prefer в (avoids у у): входу в магазин sounds smoother than входу у магазин.
If the next word starts with в or there’s a heavy consonant cluster, many prefer у to avoid вв. Both are grammatically correct; speakers choose what flows better.

What’s the difference between навпроти, перед, and біля?

навпроти (+ gen.) = directly opposite/across from, facing it.
перед (+ instrumental) = in front of (on the same side, before it).
біля (+ gen.) = near/by. So навпроти входу is across from the entrance; перед входом is right in front of it; біля входу is by the entrance.

Can I omit Ми and just say Зустрічаємося навпроти…?

Yes. Ukrainian is pro‑drop: the verb ending shows the subject. Зустрічаємося навпроти входу в магазин. is fine in context. Using Ми can add emphasis or clarity.

Can I front the place phrase: Навпроти входу в магазин ми зустрічаємося?

Yes. That word order is natural and puts focus on the location. Both orders are correct.

Is зустрічаємось (with -сь) correct?

Yes. -сь is a euphonic variant of -ся after a vowel. It’s common in speech and informal writing. More formal/neutral: зустрічаємося. Similarly, зустрінемось/зустрінемося are both used.

Are there natural alternatives to навпроти входу в магазин?

Yes, depending on the nuance:

перед входом у магазин = in front of the entrance (same side).
біля входу в магазин = near the entrance.
навпроти магазину = opposite the shop (not necessarily the entrance).
навпроти головного входу = opposite the main entrance (more specific).

Does Ukrainian have articles like “the” for “the entrance”?

No. Ukrainian has no articles. Specificity comes from context or modifiers: цей вхід (this entrance), головний вхід (the main entrance). навпроти входу is naturally understood as “opposite the entrance.”

Any quick pronunciation tips for tricky sounds here?

г in магазин is a voiced “h” sound [ɦ], not an English hard “g.”
х in входу is a harsh “kh” as in German “Bach.”
Don’t insert a vowel between вх in входу; keep it as one cluster.
In зустрічаємося, stress the ча: зустріча́ємося.

Why does вхід have genitive входу (with -у) and not входа?

Many masculine nouns can take -у/-ю or -а/-я in the genitive, with patterns that are partly semantic and partly lexical. вхід → входу is the standard form; it’s best to learn the genitive with the noun. Other common pairs: чай → чаю, край → краю.

Can навпроти work with plurals or proper names?

Yes; it still takes the genitive:

Plural: навпроти входів (opposite the entrances).
Proper names: навпроти Київського університету, навпроти магазину АТБ.