Learn French: Le maître nous force à respecter la discipline. - The master forces us to respect the discipline.

In French, many verbs require a specific preposition before a following infinitive. The verb forcer (to force) is one of them, and it requires à. Therefore, 'to force someone to do something' translates to forcer quelqu'un à faire quelque chose.

Why is nous placed before the verb force instead of after it?

In French, object pronouns like nous (us) must go directly in front of the conjugated verb. Even though English says 'forces us', French structures it as nous force (literally 'us forces').

Does maître mean 'master' or 'teacher' here?

It can mean either depending on the context! While it literally translates to 'master', le maître (and the feminine la maîtresse) is also the standard word for a primary school teacher in France.

Can respecter be used for things other than people, like rules?

Yes! While it means 'to respect' a person, respecter is also the standard French verb for 'to comply with', 'to observe', or 'to abide by' when talking about rules, laws, or la discipline.