Learn Hardcore French: On se retrouve à la maison après le travail.

Yes. In everyday French on often means “we.” It always takes third-person singular verbs (e.g., on se retrouve, not “on se retrouvons”). It sounds more casual than nous and is very common in speech.

Can I use nous instead of on?

Yes: Nous nous retrouvons à la maison après le travail. It’s a bit more formal or written. In conversation, on usually sounds more natural.

Why is there se—is this verb reflexive?

Here se retrouver is reciprocal: it means the people meet each other. It’s not the “find oneself” meaning in this context. Compare:

Je retrouve Paul. = I’m meeting Paul. (transitive, no se)
On se retrouve. = We’re meeting (each other). (reciprocal)

What’s the difference between se retrouver, se rencontrer, and retrouver quelqu’un?

se retrouver: to meet up (often planned) or to meet again after being apart. Example: On se retrouve à 18 h.
se rencontrer: to meet (each other), often for the first time or by chance. Example: Ils se sont rencontrés à l’université.
retrouver quelqu’un: to meet someone you already know at a set time/place. Example: Je retrouve Marie devant le cinéma.

Is the present tense here talking about the future?

Yes. French often uses the present for scheduled or near‑future plans: On se retrouve demain = “We’ll meet tomorrow.” You can also say:

On va se retrouver… (near future; explicit plan)
On se retrouvera… (simple future; neutral or a bit more formal)

Where do the pronouns go in the near future?

Before the infinitive: On va se retrouver à la maison…, not “On se va retrouver…”

Why à la maison and not à maison or chez la maison?

maison is feminine, so you need the article: à la maison.
à can’t be used with maison without an article; à maison is incorrect.
chez is used with people or names: chez moi/chez nous/chez Marie, not “chez la maison.”

Does à la maison mean “at home” or literally “at the house”?

Usually “at home” (the speaker’s or the group’s home). To be explicit about whose place, use chez: chez moi / chez toi / chez nous / chez vous / chez eux. If you want “inside the house,” say dans la maison.

Why is it après le travail and not après travail?

After prepositions, French generally needs an article: après le travail = “after work.” Variants:

More casual: après le boulot
Personal: après mon/ton/son travail

Could I use a clause with après que instead?

Yes, with a verb and the indicative. For a future reference, French prefers the future perfect: On se retrouve à la maison après que j’aurai fini le travail. In everyday speech, the simpler après le travail is very common.

Can I move the time phrase to the front?

Yes: Après le travail, on se retrouve à la maison. Fronting it adds emphasis but doesn’t change the meaning.

How do I negate this sentence?

Put ne … pas around the pronoun and verb: On ne se retrouve pas à la maison après le travail. In casual speech, the ne often drops: On se retrouve pas… (informal).

How do I turn it into a question?

Common options:

Intonation: On se retrouve à la maison après le travail ?
Est-ce que: Est-ce qu’on se retrouve à la maison après le travail ?
Inversion (more formal): Se retrouve‑t‑on à la maison après le travail ?

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

on: nasal vowel; don’t pronounce the final n.
se: very light, like “suh.”
retrouve: final v is pronounced; link it to the next word in retrouve à.
maison: ends with a nasal vowel; final n is silent.
travail: ends like “trah‑vahy” (the l is pronounced).

Is there a more casual way to say the whole thing?

Yes:

On se retrouve à la maison après le boulot.
On se rejoint à la maison après le boulot. (very common in speech)