Le pronom "On"

A1

The Pronoun "On"

The pronoun on is a versatile 3rd person singular subject, often meaning "we," "people," or "someone," used in informal or general statements.

On is conjugated as 3rd personel singal il / elle (e.g., On parle: We/someone speaks) and is key for casual or broad statements in French.

In informal speech, on often replaces nous, but nous is still used for formal contexts.

Agreement with adjectives/participles is masculine singular by default (e.g., On est fatigué), unless context specifies feminine (e.g., On est fatiguées for a group of women).

Usage of "On"

Informal "we"

Refers to a group including the speaker.

• On parle français.
  • We speak French.

General "people"

Describes an unspecified group or societal norm.

• On mange tôt en France.
  • People eat early in France.

Impersonal "one"

Used formally for a generic person.

• On doit respecter les règles.
  • One must respect the rules.

"Someone"

Indicates a vague or unknown person.

• On a frappé à la porte.
  • Someone knocked at the door.

Examples

• On parle français ici.
  • We speak French here.
• On mange des croissants le matin.
  • People eat croissants in the morning.
• On se dépêche !
  • Let’s hurry up!

Example of Dialogue

Léa: On va au cinéma ce soir ?
Are we going to the movies tonight?
Marc: Ouais, mais on choisit quoi ? Un film d’action ?
Yeah, but what do we choose? An action movie?
Léa: Je préfère qu'on regarde une comédie.
I prefer that we watch a comedy!