Questions & Answers about wǒmen shì qùnián zài xuéxiào jiànmiàn de.
What does the 是…的 pattern do in this sentence?
It highlights the circumstances of a past event that is taken as known or established. Here, 是…的 emphasizes when and where the meeting happened (last year, at school), rather than simply stating that the meeting occurred. It’s the natural way to answer questions like: 你们是什么时候/在哪儿见面的？
Why not just use 了 or 过 instead of 是…的?
You can, but the nuance changes:
- 我们去年在学校见了面。 A specific meeting took place then (perfective).
- 我们去年在学校见过面。 At some point last year we met (experiential; at least once).
- 我们去年在学校见面了。 Also acceptable; often sounds like reporting that the meeting (now completed) took place. With the separable verb 见面, many prefer 见了面 in event narratives. Use 是…的 when you’re supplying or emphasizing the details of a known past event.
What exactly is the final 的 here? Is it the possessive 的?
No. This 的 is the structural particle that closes the 是…的 emphasis frame. It is not possessive, and it’s not the complement marker 得 nor the adverbial 地. Don’t replace it with 得/地.
Can I switch the order of 去年 and 在学校?
The natural order is Time > Place, so 去年在学校 is preferred. 在学校去年 is generally unnatural. You can topicalize though: 在学校，我们是去年见面的。 is fine.