P55 - on

Vocabulary

Français	English
on	one, we, you, they

The Word “On”

In French, the word “on” is a versatile pronoun that can have different meanings depending on the context. It is used as a subject pronoun and can refer to:

1. General or Indefinite Subject (similar to “one” or “you” in English)
2. First Person Plural (informal “we”)
3. Third Person Plural (informal “they”)

Using “On” for Passive Voice in French

In French, the pronoun “on” is often used in a way that translates to the passive voice in English. This usage is common when the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant. Instead of using a passive construction, French often uses “on” to maintain an active sentence structure. This makes the sentence more conversational and natural in French.

Example Sentences

Français

1. Nous allons au restaurant chaque mardi. / On va au restaurant chaque mardi.
2. On est fatigués / fatiguées.
3. On est allés / allées au ciné.
4. On adore le jazz.
5. En France, ils mangent beaucoup de fromage. / En France, on mange beaucoup de fromage.
6. Dans cette famille, ils ne regardent jamais la télévision. / Dans cette famille, on ne regarde jamais la télévision.
7. On ne peut pas dire quelque chose comme ça.
8. On ne sait jamais. / On sait jamais. (informal)
9. On ne sait pas s’il est gentil ou méchant.
10. On a trouvé le trésor.
11. On a volé la voiture du voisin.
12. On m’a appelé, mais je ne sais pas qui c’est / c’était.

English

1. We go to the restaurant every Tuesday.
2. We are tired.
3. We went to the cinema.
4. We love jazz.
5. In France, they eat a lot of cheese.
6. In this family, they never watch TV.
7. You can’t say something like that.
8. You never know.
9. People don’t know if he is nice or mean.
10. The treasure was found.
11. The neighbor’s car was stolen.
12. Someone called me but I don’t know who it was.