Question 1

What does “on” mean here, and is it formal?

Accepted Answer

In everyday French, on means we. It’s friendlier and far more common in speech than nous. It’s fine among friends/colleagues. For a more formal or written style, use Nous nous rejoignons demain matin.

Question 2

Why is the verb in the third person singular (rejoint) if it means “we”?

Accepted Answer

Because on always takes third‑person singular verb forms. So it’s on rejoint, not “on rejoignons.” Semantically it means “we,” but grammatically it behaves like “he/she/it.”

Question 3

What does se do in se rejoint? Can I omit it?

Accepted Answer

Se makes the verb reciprocal: the people are meeting each other. Without it, rejoindre needs a direct object:
- On se rejoint demain matin. = We meet up (with each other).
- On rejoint Paul demain matin. = We’re joining Paul.
- Bare On rejoint demain matin is ungrammatical because there’s no object.

Question 4

How does se rejoindre differ from se retrouver, se voir, and se rencontrer?

Accepted Answer

- Se retrouver: the most common everyday choice for “meet up” intentionally. Very natural: On se retrouve demain matin.
- Se rejoindre: emphasizes coming from different places to converge at one point; also used figuratively: Nos avis se rejoignent (“our opinions converge”).
- Se voir: “see each other,” broad and casual: On se voit demain matin.
- Se rencontrer: to meet each other, often first time or by chance.

Question 5

Is the present tense here referring to the future? Are there alternatives?

Accepted Answer

Yes. French often uses the present for scheduled or near‑future plans:
- On se rejoint demain matin. = “We’re meeting tomorrow morning.”
Alternatives:
- On va se rejoindre demain matin. (near future, plan in progress)
- On se rejoindra demain matin. (simple future; a bit more neutral/formal)

Question 6

How can I turn it into a question?

Accepted Answer

- On se rejoint demain matin ? (rising intonation; most common)
- Est‑ce qu’on se rejoint demain matin ? (neutral)
- Se rejoint‑on demain matin ? (formal/inversion)

Question 7

How do I make it negative?

Accepted Answer

- On ne se rejoint pas demain matin. (standard)
- On se rejoint pas demain matin. (informal speech; the ne is often dropped)

Question 8

How can I add a specific time and place?

Accepted Answer

Add prepositional phrases:
- On se rejoint à 9 h, devant la gare.
- On se rejoint vers 9 h 30, au café du coin.
Useful prepositions: à (time), vers (around), devant/près de/à côté de/sous (place).

Question 9

How do you pronounce it?

Accepted Answer

Approximate IPA:
- On [ɔ̃]
- se [sə] (often reduced to [s] in fast speech)
- rejoint [ʁəʒwɛ̃] (final -t silent)
- demain [dəmɛ̃]
- matin [matɛ̃]
No required liaison here. You may hear the schwa drop in speech: it can sound like “On s’rejoint…,” but don’t write it that way.

Question 10

Why rejoint and not rejoins? What’s the conjugation?

Accepted Answer

With on (3rd singular), it’s rejoint. Present of rejoindre:
- je rejoins, tu rejoins, il/elle/on rejoint
- nous rejoignons, vous rejoignez, ils/elles rejoignent
Note: rejoint is also the past participle form.

Question 11

How would I say it in the past (“We met up this morning”)?

Accepted Answer

On s’est rejoints ce matin.
- Agreement: with pronominal verbs like se rejoindre, the past participle agrees with the preceding direct object (se here). So:
  - all women: On s’est rejointes
  - mixed/men: On s’est rejoints
In casual speech, many speakers don’t mark this agreement, but it’s the standard rule.

Question 12

Where can I put demain matin? Can it go first?

Accepted Answer

Yes:
- On se rejoint demain matin. (most common)
- Demain matin, on se rejoint. (perfectly fine; a comma is typical in writing)

Question 13

Do I need an article with demain matin?

Accepted Answer

No article. Say demain matin / demain après‑midi / demain soir. With an article, le matin means a habitual action (“in the mornings”), not a specific future morning.

Question 14

Can I use nous instead of on?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but it sounds more formal/written: Nous nous rejoignons demain matin. In speech, on is far more common.

Question 15

Is this okay for 3+ people?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The reciprocal se can refer to any number:
- On se rejoint tous demain matin.
- On se retrouve tous les trois demain matin.

Question 16

Are there regional or slang alternatives?

Accepted Answer

- Very common: On se retrouve demain matin.
- Casual/slang: On se capte demain matin. (youth slang)
- Québec: On se voit demain matin is very common. Colloquial à matin means “this morning,” but for “tomorrow morning” you still say demain matin.

Question 17

Can I write On s’rejoint demain matin?

Accepted Answer

No. That reflects spoken reduction. In standard writing use On se rejoint demain matin. The apostrophe with s’ is used before a vowel sound (e.g., s’écrit), not before a consonant like r.

Question 18

What are common mistakes to avoid?

Accepted Answer

- Don’t write “on rejoignons” or “on rejoind.” Use on rejoint.
- Don’t drop se unless you add an object: On rejoint Paul… is fine, but bare On rejoint… isn’t.
- Don’t write the spoken reduction: keep se, not “s’,” before rejoint.
- Don’t say “demain le matin” for “tomorrow morning.” Use demain matin.
- Remember the final -t in rejoint is silent.

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