French Phrase
On est arrivés tôt pour avoir de bonnes places.
Meaning
We arrived early in order to get good seats. The sentence emphasizes the strategy of coming ahead of time so that you can secure a preferable spot, whether at a concert, a cinema, or any event with limited seating.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to explain why you or a group arrived ahead of schedule, especially in contexts like movies, theater, sports events, or any situation where seating is assigned on a first‑come, first‑served basis.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onestarrivéstôtpouravoirdebonnesplaces
On (indefinite pronoun)
In spoken French, *on* often replaces *nous* and takes third‑person singular verb forms, but the past participle still agrees with the logical subject when the meaning is plural.
Passé composé with être
The verb *arriver* uses *être* as its auxiliary; the past participle *arrivés* must agree in gender and number with the subject (here plural, hence the -s).
Adverb *tôt*
*Tôt* means “early” and, like most adverbs, it is placed directly after the verb phrase.
Purpose clause *pour + infinitive*
*Pour* followed by an infinitive expresses the purpose of the action: “to have / to get”.
Infinitive *avoir*
*Avoir* here means “to obtain” or “to get”. In this context it is interchangeable with *obtenir*.
Partitive *de* after an adjective
When an adjective precedes a plural noun, the partitive article *de* replaces *des*: *de bonnes places*.
🗨In Conversation
On est arrivés tôt pour avoir de bonnes places.
We arrived early to get good seats.
Bonne idée ! Les meilleures places partent toujours vite.
Good idea! The best seats always go quickly.
✕Common Mistakes
Nous est arrivés tôt pour avoir de bonnes places.
The auxiliary must agree with the subject; use *sommes* with *nous*.
On est arrivés tôt pour avoir de bon places.
After an adjective before a plural noun, *de* replaces *des* and the adjective must agree in number and gender.
On est arrivés tôt pour avoir des bonnes places.
When an adjective precedes a plural noun, the partitive article becomes *de*, not *des*.
↔Alternatives
Nous sommes arrivés tôt pour obtenir de bonnes places.
We arrived early to obtain good seats.
On est venu tôt pour s’assurer de bonnes places.
We came early to make sure we have good seats.
On a fait le déplacement tôt afin d’avoir de bonnes places.
We made the trip early so that we could have good seats.
Cultural Tip
In France, especially for popular films, theater shows, or sports matches, seats are often allocated on a first‑come, first‑served basis. Arriving even 15–30 minutes before the doors open can make the difference between a central aisle seat and a cramped spot at the back. In Parisian cinemas, the phrase *bonnes places* usually refers to seats in the middle rows, which offer the best view and sound balance.