The pronoun on

Kurz erklärt

In everyday French, on often means “we” and is more common in conversation than nous. It can also mean people in general, similar to English “people,” “you,” or “they” when no particular person is meant. Although on can refer to several people, it always uses a third-person singular verb form, like il or elle.

Bildung

on + third-person singular verb: on parle, on va, on est

Verwendung

• Use on for “we” in ordinary conversation.
• Use on for people in general when the person is not specified.
• Put on before the verb and use the same verb form as with il or elle.

Beispiele

• On va au café ? — Shall we go to the café?
• On parle français à la maison. — We speak French at home.
• En France, on mange souvent du pain. — In France, people often eat bread.

Typischer Fehler

❌ On sommes prêts.

✅ On est prêts.

Even when on means “we,” the verb stays singular: use est, not sommes.

Merke

On often means “we,” but its verb is always singular.