Rendezvous: Mastering the Verb 'Se Rendre' and Its Famous French Expression
The English word rendezvous comes directly from the French phrase rendez-vous, which literally means “render yourself” or “go to.” This phrase is derived from the highly important and commonly used French reflexive verb se rendre. Mastering its conjugation is key to understanding this famous expression and many others.
Conjugation of ‘Se Rendre’ in the Present Tense
As a pronominal (reflexive) verb, it’s conjugated with a reflexive pronoun before the verb.
- Je me rends (I go/am going)
- Tu te rends (You go/are going)
- Il/elle/on se rend (He/she/one goes/is going)
- Nous nous rendons (We go/are going)
- Vous vous rendez (You go/are going)
- Ils/elles se rendent (They go/are going)
The Famous ‘Rendez-vous’
The expression rendez-vous is a command form of the verb. It is the imperative form of “vous vous rendez.” It literally means “go to,” “present yourselves,” or “meet.” In English, it has evolved to mean “a meeting place or time.”
Key Conjugations of ‘Se Rendre’
Here are some essential conjugations for se rendre, a verb that can mean “to go to,” “to surrender,” or “to give oneself up.”
Passé Composé (Present Perfect)
- Je me suis rendu(e) (I went/surrendered)
- Tu t’es rendu(e) (You went/surrendered)
- Il/elle/on s’est rendu(e) (He/she/one went/surrendered)
- Nous nous sommes rendus(es) (We went/surrendered)
- Vous vous êtes rendus(es) (You went/surrendered)
- Ils/elles se sont rendu(e)s (They went/surrendered)
Futur Simple (Simple Future)
- Je me rendrai (I will go/surrender)
- Tu te rendras (You will go/surrender)
- Il/elle/on se rendra (He/she/one will go/surrender)
- Nous nous rendrons (We will go/surrender)
- Vous vous rendrez (You will go/surrender)
- Ils/elles se rendront (They will go/surrender)
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