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Questions & Answers about On se rejoint sur la place.
What does the subject pronoun on mean here?
In everyday French, on often means we. It's more colloquial than nous and is by far the most common choice in speech. Grammatically, though, on always takes third-person singular verb forms.
Why is the verb form rejoint singular?
Because on conjugates like il/elle, so the present tense is third-person singular: on se rejoint. Compare:
- Je rejoins, tu rejoins, il/elle rejoint
- Nous rejoignons, vous rejoignez, ils/elles rejoignent
What is the role of se? Can’t I just say On rejoint ...?
Se makes the verb reciprocal: se rejoindre = to join/meet each other (come together at a point). Without it, rejoindre is transitive and must take a direct object (a person or group):
- Reciprocal: On se rejoint ... (we join each other)
- Transitive: On rejoint Paul ... (we join Paul)
Can I say Nous nous rejoignons ... instead?
Yes. Nous nous rejoignons ... is correct and a bit more formal or written-style. In everyday conversation, On se rejoint ... is much more common.
What’s the difference between se rejoindre, se retrouver, and se rencontrer?
- Se rejoindre: focuses on converging from different places to the same spot. Natural for planned meetups.
- Se retrouver: very common for planned meetups; also “to find each other again” after being apart. Often feels more idiomatic than se rejoindre in casual plans.
- Se rencontrer: to meet each other, especially for the first time or by chance. Less common for arranging a meetup.
Why is it sur la place and not à la place?
With open, flat public spaces like a town square, French uses sur to express location. À la place usually means “instead (of),” e.g., à la place de = “instead of.” So use:
- Location: sur la place
- Instead: à la place (de …)
Should I translate sur la place as “on the square” or “in the square”?
In idiomatic English you’d say “in the square,” but French uses sur. Don’t mirror the English preposition—follow the French one.
Could I say dans la place?
Not for a town square. Dans implies being inside something enclosed. You might see dans la place in historical senses (a fortified place), but for a city square, say sur la place.
What does place mean here? Does it ever mean “seat”?
Here place = a public square (often the main square in a town). Place can also mean “seat/space/spot,” but context and the preposition distinguish it:
- sur la place = on/in the town square
- à ma place = in my seat/spot
How do I replace sur la place with a pronoun?
Use y for locations: On s’y rejoint. Here y stands for “there” (= on the square).
How is rejoindre conjugated, and why the spelling change (je rejoins / il rejoint)?
It’s irregular:
- Present: je rejoins, tu rejoins, il/elle rejoint, nous rejoignons, vous rejoignez, ils/elles rejoignent
- Past participle: rejoint The endings -s/-t are silent, so rejoins and rejoint sound the same.
How would I say this in the past?
Use passé composé with être (because it’s pronominal): On s’est rejoints sur la place. Agreement: since se is a direct object here, the past participle agrees with the people who met:
- All men/mixed group: rejoints
- All women: rejointes Note: In casual writing many people omit the agreement, but the standard rule is to make it.
How do I make it negative or a yes/no question?
- Negative: On ne se rejoint pas sur la place.
- Yes/no question:
- Est-ce qu’on se rejoint sur la place ?
- On se rejoint sur la place ? (rising intonation, informal)
- Inversion (formal): Se rejoint-on sur la place ?
Any pronunciation tips for the whole sentence?
- On has a nasal vowel, like “ohn.”
- se is a weak syllable; in fast speech you may hear it reduced: “On s’rejoint ...”
- rejoint sounds roughly “ruh-ZHWA(n)” (final -t silent; nasal -in).
- sur la place: “syur la plass.” The final -e in place is silent.
Is there a difference between sur la place and sur place?
Yes:
- sur la place = on/in the town square (with the article).
- sur place = on site/on the premises, e.g., “eating in” vs “to go.”
What about proper names of squares—do I capitalize place?
In a proper name, yes: la Place de la République, la Place Vendôme. You’d say: On se rejoint sur la Place de la République (or more commonly: sur la place de la République; capitalization practices vary by style guide).