forecourt
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forecourt
An open, often paved area directly in front of a larger public building, such as a train station, an airport, or a theater.
Wir treffen uns in zehn Minuten auf dem Vorplatz des Hauptbahnhofs.
We'll meet in ten minutes on the forecourt of the main train station.
The noun is made up of the preposition 'vor' (in front of) and the noun 'der Platz' (square, place). So it literally describes a square or open area located in front of a building.
Der Brunnen auf dem Vorplatz des Museums ist ein beliebter Treffpunkt.
The fountain on the museum forecourt is a popular meeting point.
The typical preposition for 'Vorplatz' (forecourt) is 'auf' (on). Use the dative for location ('auf dem Vorplatz' — on the forecourt) and the accusative for direction ('auf den Vorplatz' — onto the forecourt).
Die Reisegruppe wartet auf dem Vorplatz des Hotels.
The tour group is waiting on the forecourt of the hotel.
'Vorplatz' (forecourt) is often combined with the name of the building it belongs to. Common examples are 'der Bahnhofsvorplatz' (station forecourt), 'der Theatervorplatz' (theater forecourt), or 'der Kirchenvorplatz' (church forecourt).
Die Taxis warten direkt am Bahnhofsvorplatz auf neue Fahrgäste.
The taxis wait directly at the station forecourt for new passengers.
place / space
'der Platz' and 'der Vorplatz' can both refer to an open area in a city or in front of buildings. 'der Platz' is more general and can be located anywhere in the city. 'der Vorplatz' is always directly in front of a larger building, for example in front of a train station, theater, or airport. The words can be confused because a forecourt often looks like a normal square. The important difference is the location: 'Vorplatz' clearly says that the area is in front of a building.
Vor dem Termin wartet ihr auf dem Vorplatz des Bahnhofs.
Before the appointment, you wait on the forecourt of the train station.
Wegen des Wetters blieb der große Platz in der Innenstadt fast leer.
Because of the weather, the large square in the city center stayed almost empty.