Log inSign up

Ils sont arrivés en même temps.

Ils sont arrivés en même temps.
They arrived at the same time.
From Lesson 242:Time prepositions of duration (en, dans)·French

Questions & Answers about Ils sont arrivés en même temps.

The lesson is about using en for duration. Does en in this sentence mean "the time it takes to complete an action"?
No, this is an exception to the rule you are currently learning! The phrase en même temps is a fixed expression meaning "at the same time." While you use en to say how long an action takes to complete (like en une heure for "in one hour"), en même temps doesn't measure duration. It is just a set phrase you need to memorize as a single chunk.
Since the English translation is "at the same time," can I say au même temps?
No, though it is a very common mistake for English speakers! Because we say "at the" in English, it is tempting to use au (which is à + le). However, the French expression is strictly en même temps.
Why is there an "s" at the end of arrivés?
Because arriver (to arrive) is a verb of motion that uses être (to be) as its helping verb in the past tense (passé composé). When a verb uses être, its past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject. Since the subject ils (they) is masculine plural, you must add an s to arrivé to make it arrivés.
Do you pronounce the p or the s in temps?
Neither! Both the p and the s in temps are completely silent. You only pronounce the nasal vowel, so the word sounds exactly like the word tant.

Learn Ils sont arrivés en même temps and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning French →