The French subject pronoun on has translates literally to ‘one’ but has many meanings. On serves as an equivalent to the subject pronoun nous. This is the most common usage. On can also be used to create a passive voice. This page will examine its multiple meanings with lots of example sentences.
On
Pronoun meaning, one, we or people in French
How To Use The Pronoun “On” In French
On equates to nous for to mean we
The most common usage in spoken French is on replacing nous. On is almost always used when discussing plans with people in your group.
| je I | nous we |
| tu - you (singular) | vous - you (pl, formal) |
| il, elle, on - he, she, one | ils, elles - they |
During my private lessons students often ask, which is correct, on or nous? The answer is that you can use both but on may be slightly more common when talking with a friend or family member.
Here are some examples of how the pronoun on is commonly used:
On va à la plage?
Shall we go to the beach?
Ou on va au restaurant?
Or shall we go to the restaurant?
Qu’est-ce qu’on fait?
What shall we do?
On continue.
Let’s move on.
Indefinite person usage
Another usage is simply an indefinite person, or “one”. In translating the following examples, “one” could also be replaced with “you” in spoken English.
On ne peut pas tout savoir.
One cannot know everything.
On ne sait jamais!
One never knows! (You never know.)
Used for giving instructions or commands
On is commonly used in giving instructions in sports or music.
On plie les jambes.
Bend your legs.
People in the general sense
On can also simply mean ‘people’.
En France, on mange bien.
In France people eat well.
Indirect language usage
Sometimes on can be used in the place of tu. This is a form of indirect language.
Alors, on ne travaille pas trop dur aujourd’hui?
So, we’re not working to hard today?
Passive voice
On parle japonais au japon.
Japanese is spoken in Japan.
Related lessons
French grammar | Lessons by David Issokson
