When do you use 'on'?

'On' is usually used in informal situations to mean 'we'. Instead of saying 'nous allons aller au cinéma' you might say 'on va aller au cinéma'. It's very common to hear and see French people using 'on' instead of 'nous' when they're talking to their friends or family. 'Nous' is usually used when writing, or in more formal situations. It's also used to mean 'one' or 'someone' E.g 'On pourrait dire qu'il est stupide, mais je pense qu'il est intelligent' - 'One could say that he is stupid, but I think he's clever'

Answered by Isobel C. French tutor

1003 Views

See similar French GCSE tutors

Related French GCSE answers

All answers ▸

What is the difference between 'y' and 'en'?


What is the difference between the perfect and the imperfect tense?


Read the following sentence and answer the question using information from the sentence. 'Mon ami Jean aime jouer au foot quand il fait beau, mais aujourd'hui il pleut.' In what weather does Jean like to play football?


Vous êtes à l'école, décrivez votre journée scolaire


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo
Cookie Preferences