Learn French: Nous ouvrons les portes pour la réception. - We are opening the doors for the reception.

Nous ouvrons les portes pour la réception.

We are opening the doors for the reception.

Breakdown of Nous ouvrons les portes pour la réception.

nous

we / us (object pronoun)

Questions & Answers about Nous ouvrons les portes pour la réception.

Wait, ouvrir is an -ir verb. Why isn't it ouvrissons like choisissons?

ouvrir (to open) is a special irregular verb. Even though it ends in -ir, it uses the endings of regular -er verbs in the present tense. So for nous, you just drop the -ir and add -ons, making it ouvrons.

Does Nous ouvrons mean 'We open' or 'We are opening'?

It translates to both! French doesn't have a separate tense for actions happening right now. Nous ouvrons can mean a general routine (We open) or an action in progress (We are opening).

Should I pronounce the 's' at the end of Nous in this sentence?

Yes, you should. Because Nous ends in a consonant and the next word ouvrons starts with a vowel, they link together in spoken French. The 's' is pronounced like a 'z' sound, making it sound like noo-zoo-vrohn.

I noticed réception looks exactly like the English word. Does it mean the same thing?

Yes, it is a true cognate! Just like in English, la réception can mean a formal party or celebration, or the front desk at a hotel or office. Just be sure to include the accent mark over the first e.