nous nous rendons
The English phrase "we surrender" is translated into French as nous nous rendons.
A statement used to announce that a person or group stops fighting and gives up to an opponent.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a reflexive construction where the first nous is the subject 'we' and the second nous is the reflexive pronoun 'ourselves'.
Which one should you use?
While nous nous rendons is grammatically standard, in spoken or informal French, one would more likely say on se rend.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb is se rendre, a pronominal verb, which is why the subject nous is immediately followed by the reflexive pronoun nous. To say 'I surrender' instead of 'we surrender', change the subject and reflexive pronoun to je me rends.
Did you know?
- In certain regions like Normandy and Burgundy, the pronoun je was historically used instead of nous to mean 'we', leading to phrases like je voyons instead of nous voyons.
- The verb se rendre is so versatile that it is the standard way to describe both surrendering in a war and simply heading to a location like a city hall.
- Using 'je' to mean 'we' was once considered a sign of low social status. In the 17th century, famous playwrights like Molière mocked this linguistic habit in their works.
Examples in context
- Nous nous rendons.We surrender.This sentence shows the use of nous nous rendons.Tatoeba #2251666 by sacredceltic, translation #2246291 by Hybrid
- Nous nous rendons!We surrender!
- Après une longue lutte, nous nous rendons.After a long struggle, we surrender.
- Nous ne pouvons plus lutter, nous nous rendons.We can no longer fight, we surrender.
Example conversation
Two people are playing a simulated battle game.
- LucasTu as gagné, nous nous rendons.You won, we surrender.
- ManonEnfin ! Vous avez mis du temps.Finally! You took a long time.
- LucasC'était un combat difficile, Manon.It was a difficult fight, Manon.
- ManonAllez, Lucas, venez avec moi.Come on, Lucas, come with me.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
