Learn Hardcore French: Marie arrive à l'école à l'heure.

Marie is the subject, which requires the verb to be conjugated in the third person singular. In French, the present tense form of arriver for third person singular is simply arrive—unlike in English, where you might add an -s (“arrives”) for he, she, or it.

Why is the preposition à used before l'école, and what exactly does it indicate?

The preposition à is used with the verb arriver to indicate destination. In this sentence, à l'école tells you where Marie is arriving—it means “to school” or “at school,” depending on context.

Why does the sentence say l'école instead of just école?

In French, nouns typically come with an article. The noun école is feminine, so it needs the definite article la. Because école begins with a vowel, à + la contracts to à l'. This contraction is a standard rule in French.

What does the phrase à l'heure mean, and why is it placed at the end of the sentence?

The phrase à l'heure literally means “at the hour” but is understood as “on time.” Its placement at the end of the sentence acts as a time modifier, emphasizing that Marie arrives punctually. In French, time expressions or adverbials often come after the main clause.

How does the conjugation of arriver in this sentence compare to the English equivalent “arrives”?

In English, subject-verb agreement requires an -s at the end of the verb in the third person singular (“Marie arrives”). However, in French, the equivalent present tense form of arriver for third person singular is simply arrive. French verb conjugation follows its own set of rules that don’t necessarily mirror the English pattern.