French Phrase
Arrive 15 minutes avant ton rendez‑vous.
Meaning
The sentence is a polite command telling someone to be at the meeting place fifteen minutes earlier than the scheduled time. It stresses the importance of arriving early, which is a common expectation in French professional and social settings.
When to use
Use this phrase when reminding a friend, colleague, or client about an upcoming appointment, interview, doctor’s visit, or any scheduled meeting where punctuality is valued.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Arrive15minutesavanttonrendez‑vous.
Imperative of arriver
‘Arrive’ is the second‑person singular imperative of the verb *arriver* (to arrive). No subject pronoun is used.
Duration expression
‘15 minutes’ expresses a length of time. In French, numbers are written as digits or words; the unit follows directly without a preposition.
Preposition avant
‘avant’ means ‘before’ and is followed by a noun phrase, not by ‘de’.
Possessive adjective ton
‘ton’ agrees with the masculine singular noun *rendez‑vous* and means ‘your’ (informal).
Hyphenated noun rendez‑vous
‘rendez‑vous’ is a loan‑word from French, always written with a hyphen and masculine singular.
🗨In Conversation
N'oublie pas d'arriver 15 minutes avant ton rendez‑vous.
Don't forget to arrive 15 minutes before your appointment.
Pas de problème, je serai là à 9h45.
No problem, I'll be there at 9:45.
✕Common Mistakes
Arrive 15 minutes avant de ton rendez‑vous.
‘Avant’ is a preposition and does not take ‘de’ before a noun phrase.
Arriver à 15 minutes avant ton rendez‑vous.
The verb *arriver* in the imperative does not need the preposition ‘à’.
Arrive 15 minutes avant ton rendez‑vouses.
‘Rendez‑vous’ is masculine singular; it never takes an ‘-es’ ending.
↔Alternatives
Sois présent 15 minutes avant ton rendez‑vous.
Be present 15 minutes before your appointment.
Arrive quinze minutes avant ton rendez‑vous.
Arrive fifteen minutes before your appointment.
Présente‑toi 15 minutes avant ton rendez‑vous.
Show up 15 minutes before your appointment.
Cultural Tip
In France, being exactly on time is often considered late, especially for business meetings and formal appointments. Arriving 5–15 minutes early shows respect and gives you a moment to settle in. However, for social gatherings with friends, a few minutes of delay is usually acceptable.