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Nous rencontrons Marie au milieu de la place.

Nous rencontrons Marie au milieu de la place.
We meet Marie in the middle of the square.
FromLesson 24inHardcore French

Breakdown of Nous rencontrons Marie au milieu de la place.

Marie
Marie
nous
we
rencontrer
to meet
au milieu de
in the middle of
la place
the square

Questions & Answers about Nous rencontrons Marie au milieu de la place.

What tense is rencontrons, and does it mean we meet or we are meeting?
Rencontrons is the present indicative, 1st person plural. In French, the present covers both English simple present and present progressive, so it can mean either we meet (habitual or general) or we are meeting (right now or scheduled), depending on context.
How should I pronounce this sentence? Are there any liaisons?
  • There is a liaison between nous and rencontrons: say nouz‿rencontrons.
  • A liaison after the verb into a following noun (between rencontrons and Marie) is usually avoided in careful speech, so pronounce a break there.
  • A rough pronunciation guide: noo(z) rahn-kohn-TRON ma-REE oh mee-LYEU də la PLASS.
  • Note the nasal vowels in rencontrons and the French guttural r.
Why use rencontrer here and not retrouver, rejoindre, or croiser?
  • Rencontrer quelqu’un: to meet someone (neutral; by chance or arranged).
  • Retrouver quelqu’un: to meet up with someone you’ve arranged to see or to find again.
  • Rejoindre quelqu’un: to go join someone where they are (emphasis on going to them).
  • Croiser quelqu’un: to run into or pass someone by chance, briefly. Given the neutral context, rencontrer is fine. If it’s a planned meet-up, retrouver is often more idiomatic.
Does rencontrer need a preposition like English “meet with”?
No. Use it directly: rencontrer quelqu’un. Avoid rencontrer avec.
What would se rencontrer mean? Could I say Nous nous rencontrons Marie?
Se rencontrer means “to meet each other.” Nous nous rencontrons = “We meet each other.” You cannot say Nous nous rencontrons Marie. With Marie as the object, keep the non-reflexive verb: Nous rencontrons Marie.
How do I replace Marie with a pronoun?

Use the direct object pronoun la before the verb:

  • Nous la rencontrons au milieu de la place.
  • In the near future: Nous allons la rencontrer…
  • In the negative: Nous ne la rencontrons pas…
How do I say “We met Marie in the middle of the square”?

Use the passé composé: Nous avons rencontré Marie au milieu de la place. If you replace Marie with a pronoun, make past participle agreement:

Why is it au milieu de la place? What does each part do?
Could I say au centre de la place instead of au milieu de la place?
Yes. Au centre de is a bit more geometric/formal; au milieu de is very common and everyday. In many contexts they’re interchangeable.
Why not dans la place or sur la place?

For public squares:

  • sur la place is idiomatic for “in/on the square” (being in that open area).
  • dans la place is uncommon/nonnative in this sense. Your sentence uses au milieu de la place, which pinpoints the middle of the square—perfectly natural.
Is place feminine? Why isn’t it du place?
Yes, place is feminine: la place. Therefore after de you use de la, not du (which is de + le for masculine nouns). Hence au milieu de la place.
Can I front the object for emphasis, like “Marie, we’re meeting her in the middle of the square”?
Yes, for emphasis or topic-comment you can say: Marie, nous la rencontrons au milieu de la place. In neutral style, the original SVO order is more common.
How do I make the sentence negative?

Nous ne rencontrons pas Marie au milieu de la place. In casual speech, ne is often dropped: Nous rencontrons pas Marie…, but keep ne in writing or formal contexts.

Can I use on instead of nous?
Yes. On is very common in speech to mean “we”: On rencontre Marie au milieu de la place. Remember the verb is 3rd person singular with on.
Could I use the imperative to suggest “Let’s meet Marie in the middle of the square”?

Yes, with the 1st-person plural imperative:

  • Neutral: Rencontrons Marie au milieu de la place.
  • If it’s a planned meet-up, Retrouvons Marie… often sounds more natural.
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“How does grammatical gender work in French?”
Every French noun is either masculine or feminine, and this affects the articles and adjectives used with it. "Le" is used with masculine nouns and "la" with feminine ones. Adjectives also change form to match — for example, "petit" (masc.) becomes "petite" (fem.).

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