Learn Hardcore Chinese: wǒmen shì qùnián zài xuéxiào jiànmiàn de.

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.

How can I shift the focus by moving 是?

Neutral/both details: 我们是去年在学校见面的。
Emphasize place: 我们去年是在学校见面的。 or 我们是在学校见面的。
Emphasize time: 我们是在去年见面的。 or 我们是去年见面的。 Placing 是 right before the element you want to stress makes that element the focus.

Can I omit 是 or 的?

In a full statement, keep both. In short answers or follow-ups, you can be elliptical:

Q: 你们是什么时候见面的？ A: 去年。
Q: 你们是在哪儿见面的？ A: 在学校。 But as a complete sentence asserting the details, use both 是 and the final 的.

How do I make questions with this pattern?

Use 是 + question word + 的:

你们是什么时候见面的？ (When?)
你们是在哪儿见面的？ (Where?)
你们是怎么见面的？ (How/by what arrangement?) Avoid stuffing too many question words at once; ask one detail per question for clarity.

How do I negate this, and how is it different from using 没(有)?

不是…的 negates the detail(s) but presupposes the meeting did happen:
我们不是去年在学校见面的。 (We did meet, but not last year at school.)
没(有) + 见面 negates the occurrence:
我们没在学校见面。 (We didn’t meet at school; possibly didn’t meet at all.)

What’s the difference between 见 and 见面?

见 is transitive: 我见了他。 (I saw/met him.)
见面 is intransitive and reciprocal: the participants are in the subject, or marked with 跟/和.
- 我们见面。
- 我跟他见面。
  Do not say 见面他; that’s ungrammatical.

Is 见面 a separable verb? Where do I put 了/过/次?

Yes, it’s separable (离合词):

见了面 (completed event)
见过面 (have met before)
见了一次面 / 见过两次面 (with measure words inserted) Both 见面了 and 见了面 occur; in narrative with time/place, many prefer 见了面.

Why do I sometimes see 是在 together, like 我们是在学校见面的? Are 是 and 在 a fixed pair?

They’re not a fixed pair. It’s 是 introducing the focus, followed by the prepositional phrase 在学校. You could also say 我们是去年见面的 (focusing time instead of place).

Is 在 here the progressive marker (like “be doing”)?

No. Here 在 is a preposition meaning “at/in” introducing a location (在学校). The progressive 在 comes before a verb (e.g., 在看书), which is not the case here.

Can I say 在学校里 or must it be 在学校?

Both work. 在学校 is the default; 在学校里 adds a slight “inside the school grounds” feel. Either can appear inside 是…的: 我们是去年在学校里见面的。

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

Key tones: 是 shì (4), 去 qù (4), 年 nián (2), 在 zài (4), 学 xué (2), 校 xiào (4), 见 jiàn (4), 面 miàn (4), 的 de (neutral).
Note the two fourth tones in 见面; Mandarin allows consecutive fourth tones—just keep them crisp. Final 的 is light/neutral.

Does 我们 mean “we (including you)” or “we (excluding you)”?

我们 can be either inclusive or exclusive; context decides. There’s also 咱们, which in many regions is typically inclusive (“you and I”), but usage varies by dialect and register.

Are there synonyms for 见面, and do they differ in nuance?

Yes:

碰面/碰到: “run into,” more casual/unplanned.
会面: “meet,” formal or official.
遇到: “encounter/run across,” not necessarily a planned meeting. Choose based on whether the meeting was arranged, accidental, or formal.