Why is 'zu' not followed by the dative?????
Hello

I am hoping that someone maybe able to help with the following;

In the sentence;

‘Um ungefähr neun Uhr bin ich wieder ZU Hause, und dann esse ich ZU Abend’

I am totally clueless as to why ‘ZU’ is used in this way.

I have learned that ‘aus bei, mit, nach, seit, von ZU’ are ALWAYS followed by the dative (without exception).

So, why does the sentence not read as follows;

Um ungefähr neun Uhr bin ich wieder ZUM Hause, und dann esse ich ZUM Abend????

Very confused!!!!!!!

Laura
Thanks once again to Otto and Domasala for your assistance!

Just another point, I am assuming that;

' und dann esse ich zu Abend’

means ‘evening meal’ and that the word ‘meal’ (ie, Essen, Mahlzeit etc is not included??)

Laura
but why does 'zu' need to be included here?

Why not just;

'und dann esse ich Abend Essen'??

Question

Why is 'zu' not followed by the dative?????
Hello

I am hoping that someone maybe able to help with the following;

In the sentence;

‘Um ungefähr neun Uhr bin ich wieder ZU Hause, und dann esse ich ZU Abend’

I am totally clueless as to why ‘ZU’ is used in this way.

I have learned that ‘aus bei, mit, nach, seit, von ZU’ are ALWAYS followed by the dative (without exception).

So, why does the sentence not read as follows;

Um ungefähr neun Uhr bin ich wieder ZUM Hause, und dann esse ich ZUM Abend????

Very confused!!!!!!!

Laura
Thanks once again to Otto and Domasala for your assistance!

Just another point, I am assuming that;

' und dann esse ich zu Abend’ 

means ‘evening meal’ and that the word ‘meal’ (ie, Essen, Mahlzeit etc is not included??)

Laura
but why does 'zu' need to be included here?

Why not just;

'und dann esse ich Abend Essen'??

Answer

"Hause" und "Abend" are both dative here. What's the problem?

Answer

'zu Abend essen' as an expression means 'to have supper or dinner'.
'dann esse ich zu Abend.'

You can also say:
"dann esse ich das Abendessen." 
Abendessen = supper, evening meal or dinner.

They both have the same meaning. You can use any!

Answer

"Um ungefähr neun Uhr bin ich wieder zu Hause, dann esse ich zu Abend."

Wie Otto sagte, sind "zu Hause sein" (to be at home) - und "zu Abend essen" (to have dinner) feste Ausdrücke (fixed expressions). "Zu" hat keine eigene Bedeutung.

"zu dem Haus" (zu wem/was?) wäre Dativ. Aber man würde meistens nicht "Ich gehe zu dem Haus." sagen, sondern kurz: "Ich gehe zum Haus." (to a particular house) oder "Ich gehe nach Haus(e)." (to my own home). Hier ist der Dativ nicht so einfach zu sehen (hidden).

Edit:
Yes. "zu Abend", "zu Mittag", but not "zu Morgen/zu Früh". We say "Ich esse (/mache) Frühstück."

"zu" indicates a time of day.

Answer

Hi Laura,
the term "zu Hause" is an expression.
Also: there is no article in the term, so the case remains "invisible".
If you were saying I am going to the house instead of I am at home, then the sentence would be
Ich gehe zu dem Haus.
and you see the dative