ELONIO
Log inSign up

Nous invitons nos voisins à déjeuner, et nous voulons confirmer l’heure par message.

Nous invitons nos voisins à déjeuner, et nous voulons confirmer l’heure par message.
We are inviting our neighbors for lunch, and we want to confirm the time by message.
FromLesson 27inHardcore French

Questions & Answers about Nous invitons nos voisins à déjeuner, et nous voulons confirmer l’heure par message.

Why is it « à déjeuner » and not « pour le déjeuner » or « au déjeuner »?

French uses the pattern inviter quelqu’un à + infinitive, so inviter nos voisins à déjeuner = invite our neighbors to have lunch.

  • pour le déjeuner treats lunch as a noun (the event): invite them for the lunch. It’s fine and common.
  • au déjeuner (à + le) also treats it as a specific lunch event; a bit more formal or business-like. All three can be correct; à déjeuner (verb) is the most neutral and idiomatic in everyday French.
Is « déjeuner » a verb here?

Yes. In à déjeuner, déjeuner is an infinitive verb meaning “to have lunch.” Note: Regional meanings differ. In France, déjeuner = lunch. In Québec/Belgium/Switzerland, déjeuner = breakfast, dîner = lunch, souper = dinner. So “invite to lunch” there would often be inviter à dîner (verb) or inviter au dîner (noun).

Can I say « on » instead of « nous »?

Yes. In spoken French, on is more common than nous for “we.”

  • Neutral: Nous invitons nos voisins…
  • Very natural spoken: On invite nos voisins… Remember: with on, the verb is 3rd person singular: on veut, on voudrait, etc. Using on is informal/neutral; nous is a bit more formal or written.
Does the present tense « nous invitons » mean now or the near future?

Both are possible. French often uses the present for near-future plans, especially with context.

  • Present as plan: Nous invitons nos voisins samedi.
  • Near future: Nous allons inviter…
  • Simple future: Nous inviterons… (more formal or distant)
Why « par message » and not « par un message » or « en message »?

For a communication channel, French usually uses par + medium with no article:

  • par message, par SMS, par e-mail/courriel, par WhatsApp. En message is not idiomatic here. Par un message is possible but less common; it emphasizes “by means of a (single) message.”
What’s the most natural way to say “by text” in different regions?
  • France: par SMS, par texto (both very common)
  • Québec: par message texte, also par SMS is understood
  • Neutral: par message (works broadly, slightly vague) Platform-specific: par WhatsApp / par Signal / par iMessage
Should there be a comma before « et »?

Generally no. Standard French style does not put a comma before et joining two clauses:
Nous invitons nos voisins à déjeuner et nous voulons confirmer l’heure par message.
A comma can appear to mark a deliberate pause, but it’s usually omitted.

Why « l’heure » and not « l’horaire » or « le temps »?
  • l’heure = the clock time (what time we meet). This is what you confirm.
  • l’horaire = a schedule/timetable (e.g., train schedule).
  • le temps = time in general (duration/weather), not a clock time here.
    So confirmer l’heure is the idiomatic choice.
How do I include “to them” (confirm to them) with pronouns?

Use the indirect-object pronoun leur (to them):

  • Nous voulons leur confirmer l’heure (par message). If you also pronominalize “the time” (l’heure), it becomes:
  • With a modal: Nous voulons la leur confirmer.
  • Simple present: Nous la leur confirmons.
    Pronoun order (before the verb/infinitive): me/te/se/nous/vous + le/la/les + lui/leur + y + en.
Is « Nous voulons confirmer… » polite enough when writing to neighbors?

It’s grammatically fine but can sound a bit direct. To soften:

  • Nous voudrions confirmer l’heure par message.
  • Pourrions-nous confirmer l’heure par message ?
  • Serait-il possible de confirmer l’heure par message ?
    These sound more courteous.
How can I add “at our place” to the sentence?

Use chez nous:

  • Nous invitons nos voisins à déjeuner chez nous. You can add a day/time too: … dimanche à 12 h 30.
Should I use « voisins » or « voisines »?
  • voisins is masculine plural and serves as the default for mixed/unspecified groups.
  • If all neighbors invited are women, use voisines.
    Inclusive writing sometimes shows voisin·e·s, but that’s a stylistic choice, not standard in everyday prose.
Any accent or apostrophe pitfalls here?
Are there useful pronunciation/liaison tips in this sentence?

Yes, common liaisons:

  • Nous invitons: pronounce a linking z sound → “nouz invitons.”
  • Nos voisins: linking z → “noz voisins.”
  • Optional light liaison in et nous in careful speech.
    Keep the final consonants mostly silent except where liaison requires them; the “h” in heure is silent.
Why not « vouloir à/de confirmer »?

Because vouloir is a semi-auxiliary that takes a bare infinitive: vouloir + infinitif.

  • Correct: Nous voulons confirmer l’heure.
  • Incorrect: Nous voulons à confirmer / Nous voulons de confirmer.
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“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.).

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning French

Master French — from Nous invitons nos voisins à déjeuner, et nous voulons confirmer l’heure par message to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Start learning French→