😅 我见面了一个朋友。 Wait… That’s Wrong?!

Have you ever said:

👉 我见面了一个朋友。 Wǒ jiànmiàn le yí ge péngyou。– I met a friend.

It looks fine, right? But… something’s not quite right! Can you guess what’s wrong?

🧐 What’s wrong?

The verb 见面 (jiànmiàn) means “to meet someone,” but it’s not used like a normal verb. It’s a separable verb in Chinese. 

Separable verbs have two parts: a verb and an object. They can’t directly take another object after them.

This means:

• ✅ You can’t put a noun (like 一个朋友) right after 见面.

• ✅ You need to use 和 (hé) or 跟 (gēn) before the person you’re meeting.

🛠 Let’s Fix It

Wrong sentence:

❌ 我见面了一个朋友。 Wǒ jiànmiàn le yí ge péngyou。

Correct sentence:

• ✅ 我和一个朋友见面了。Wǒ hé yí ge péngyou jiànmiàn le。➔ I met a friend.

• ✅ 我跟一个朋友见面了。Wǒ gēn yí ge péngyou jiànmiàn le。➔ I met a friend.

💬 More Examples

✅ 我昨天跟老师见面了。Wǒ zuótiān gēn lǎoshī jiànmiàn le。

👉🏼 I met my teacher yesterday.

✅ 他们下午要和经理见面。Tāmen xiàwǔ yào hé jīnglǐ jiànmiàn。

👉🏼 They will meet the manager this afternoon.

🤔 Why Does This Happen?

Many learners mistakenly use 见面 as a regular verb, but it is like a little phrase that means “see” + “face.” 

Since it’s a verb-object phrase, you need to use 和 or 跟 to connect it with the person you’re meeting.

💡 Easy Tip to Remember

When you use 见面, imagine it’s saying “see face with someone.” So, don’t forget to add 和 or 跟 before the person!

🎯 Interactive Practice

Can you fix the wrong sentences below?

1. ❌ 我见面了我的同学。Wǒ jiànmiàn le wǒ de tóngxué。

2. ❌ 她见面了爸爸。Tā jiànmiàn le bàba。

Correct answers:

1. ✅ 我和我的同学见面了。Wǒ hé wǒ de tóngxué jiànmiàn le。

👉🏼 I met my classmate.

2. ✅ 她跟爸爸见面了。Tā gēn bàba jiànmiàn le。

👉🏼 She met her dad.

✍️  Final Tip

Next time you talk about meeting someone, just remember:

• 📌 和/跟 + someone + 见面

• 📌 hé/gēn +someone + jiànmiàn

You’ll avoid this common mistake and sound more like a native speaker!