Learn Hardcore French: Nous parlons avec la gagnante après le match dans le parc. - We talk with the winner after the game in the park.

Nous parlons avec la gagnante…
= We talk with the winner… (in general / habitually)
= We are talking with the winner… (right now / on this occasion)

Context tells you whether it’s a one‑time action or a regular one. French doesn’t have a separate “‑ing” tense like English; nous parlons can express both.

Why is it nous parlons and not nous parle?

Because parler is conjugated for nous in the present tense:

Je parle
Tu parles
Il / elle / on parle
Nous parlons
Vous parlez
Ils / elles parlent

With nous, regular ‑er verbs end in ‑ons in the present tense, so you must say nous parlons.

Why is it parler avec? Could I say parler à la gagnante instead?

Both are possible, but they are slightly different:

Parler à quelqu’un = to speak to someone (direction, one‑way)
- Nous parlons à la gagnante. = We are speaking to the winner.
Parler avec quelqu’un = to speak with someone (interaction, two‑way)
- Nous parlons avec la gagnante. = We are talking with the winner (more like a conversation).

In your sentence, avec emphasizes that it’s a conversation rather than just you addressing her.

What exactly does la gagnante mean, and why does it end in ‑e?

Gagnant / gagnante comes from the verb gagner (to win):

le gagnant = the (male) winner
la gagnante = the (female) winner

The ending ‑e here marks the feminine form of the noun.
So la gagnante explicitly tells you the winner is female.

What if I don’t know if the winner is male or female? Do I still say la gagnante?

If the gender is:

Unknown or not specified: French traditionally uses the masculine as the default:
- le gagnant = the winner (gender not specified)
Definitely a woman: use la gagnante.
If you want to be explicitly inclusive in writing, you might see:
- le ou la gagnant(e), le·la gagnant·e, etc.

In everyday speech, people usually pick le gagnant when the gender is unknown or mixed.

Why is it le match but la gagnante? How is gender decided?

Grammatical gender in French is mostly arbitrary for inanimate things:

le match = masculine
le parc = masculine
la table = feminine
la voiture = feminine

You just have to learn each noun with its article: le match, la table, etc.

For words referring to people, the form often changes with the person’s gender:

un ami / une amie (a friend)
un étudiant / une étudiante (a student)
un gagnant / une gagnante (a winner)

So match is masculine by convention (no logical reason), but gagnant / gagnante changes according to the gender of the person.

Why is it après le match and not après du match?

The preposition après is followed directly by a noun (with its normal article):

après le match – after the match
après la réunion – after the meeting
après les vacances – after the holidays

You don’t insert de between après and its noun.
So après du match is incorrect in this context; you must say après le match.

What is the difference between dans le parc and au parc?

Both can be translated as in/at the park, but there is a nuance:

dans le parc
- Literally “inside the park”
- Emphasizes being inside the physical limits of the park.
au parc (= à + le parc)
- More like “at the park” as a location in general
- Commonly used when talking about going there or spending time there:
  - On va au parc. = We’re going to the park.

In your sentence, dans le parc highlights that the conversation is taking place inside the park.

Can I change the order of après le match and dans le parc?

Yes, French word order for time and place is flexible. All of these are possible:

Nous parlons avec la gagnante après le match dans le parc.
Nous parlons avec la gagnante dans le parc après le match.
Après le match, nous parlons avec la gagnante dans le parc.
Dans le parc, nous parlons avec la gagnante après le match.

A common pattern is [time] then [place]:

Nous parlons avec la gagnante après le match, dans le parc.

Punctuation (like a comma) can help make the sentence clearer.

Does après le match dans le parc mean “after the match that is in the park,” or “we’re in the park after the match”?

Alone, the phrase can be a bit ambiguous, just like in English.

Two main readings:

After the match, in the park, we talk…
(The match could be anywhere; you meet in the park afterward.)
After the match that takes place in the park, we talk…
(The match itself is in the park.)

If you want to be very clear:

Après le match, nous parlons avec la gagnante dans le parc.
→ Suggests: after the match, you meet in the park.
Après le match qui a lieu dans le parc, nous parlons avec la gagnante.
→ Clearly: the match itself is in the park.

Could I say On parle avec la gagnante… instead of Nous parlons…?

Yes, and it’s very common.

Nous parlons avec la gagnante…
- More formal/standard, often in writing or careful speech.
On parle avec la gagnante…
- Very frequent in spoken French to mean we.
- Grammatically, on takes the il/elle form:
  - On parle, not on parlons.

Both can mean “we talk / we are talking.” In everyday conversation, you will hear on parle more often than nous parlons.

How do you pronounce the whole sentence?

A careful IPA transcription (with typical liaisons) is:

Nous parlons avec la gagnante après le match dans le parc.
/nu paʁlɔ̃z‿avɛk la ɡaɲɑ̃t apʁɛ lə matʃ dɑ̃ lə paʁk/

A few tips:

nous → /nu/
parlons → /paʁlɔ̃/, but before avec you make a liaison:
- parlons avec → /paʁlɔ̃z‿avɛk/ (a z sound joins them)
gagnante → /ɡa.ɲɑ̃t/
- gn = /ɲ/ (like ny in canyon), final ‑e is not pronounced as a separate syllable.
match → /matʃ/ (like English match)
dans → /dɑ̃/ (nasal vowel, no audible s)
parc → /paʁk/ (final c is pronounced /k/)

Stress in French is usually on the last syllable of each rhythmic group, not on individual words as in English.