French word

rendez-vous

Pronunciation

IPA/ʁɑ̃devu/

Meaning

  • masculine nounmeeting

Example

On a un rendez-vous devant la gare à midi.

We have a meeting in front of the station at noon.

Illustration for rendez-vous (meeting)

More examples

J'ai pris un rendez-vous chez le médecin pour demain matin.

I made an appointment with the doctor for tomorrow morning.

Core concept

A marked time and place where people are expected to meet.

Common phrases

  • prendre rendez-vous

    make an appointment

  • fixer un rendez-vous

    schedule an appointment

  • annuler un rendez-vous

    cancel an appointment

Similar words

réunion: An organized gathering for several people to talk together.
entretien: A scheduled formal conversation for an interview or consultation.
rencontre: An encounter or meeting between people.
réservation: The process of reserving a service or seat ahead of time.

Definition in French

Indique un engagement pris pour se retrouver à une heure et en un lieu précis, employé aussi bien pour des rencontres sociales que pour des rendez-vous professionnels.

Word origin

The noun developed from the imperative phrase rendez-vous, from se rendre, meaning to present or go somewhere, and came to denote an arranged meeting.

Usage tips

  • The noun is masculine, so standard phrases use un rendez-vous, prendre un rendez-vous, and fixer un rendez-vous.

Other meanings

  • appointmentnoun
  • datenoun

Opposites

  • rencontre fortuitechance encounternoun

Word lists with this word