On vs Nous

The short answer

• In everyday speech, on is the normal way to say “we”: On va au cinéma ce soir.
• In formal writing, use nous: Nous vous remercions de votre message.
• On also means “people in general”, “someone” and “they”.

On = we

On always takes a third person singular verb, like il or elle:

• On va au restaurant. (= Nous allons au restaurant.)
• On est fatigués.
• On se voit demain ?

It is often combined with nous for emphasis: Nous, on préfère rester à la maison.

Agreement: when on means “we”, adjectives and past participles with être often agree with the people it refers to:

• On est contents.
• On est allés au Québec. (a group)
• On est allées au Québec. (a group of women)

This agreement is accepted and common when on clearly refers to a group. Without it (on est content), the sentence is also accepted.

Possessives: with on = we, people use notre and nos: On a pris notre voiture.

The other meanings of on

1. People in general, “you” in the general sense

• En France, on mange tard.
• Ici, on ne fume pas.
• On ne sait jamais. (You never know.)

2. Someone

• On a frappé à la porte. (Someone knocked at the door.)
• On m’a volé mon téléphone. (My phone was stolen.)

3. “They”, for an unspecified group or authority

• On dit que les loyers vont augmenter. (They say…)
• On va construire un nouveau pont.

4. A replacement for the passive

• Le magasin a été fermé. → On a fermé le magasin.

When to use nous

• Formal writing: letters, emails to organisations, reports, academic texts.
• Speeches and formal speaking situations.
• Exams: in written tasks, use nous for “we”. On is fine in its general meaning (“people”): Aujourd’hui, on travaille de plus en plus à distance.

In speaking tests, on = “we” is natural and perfectly acceptable, as long as you conjugate it correctly.

L’on: a formal variant

In formal writing, you may see l’on after et, si, où, que and qui, to make the sound smoother: si l’on considère que… You do not need to use it, but you should recognise it.

Common mistakes

Practice

A. Replace nous with on.

1. Nous partons demain.
2. Nous nous retrouvons à 8 heures.
3. Nous avons fini.
4. Nous sommes allés à Québec. (group of men and women)

B. What does on mean in each sentence: “we”, “people in general” or “someone”?

5. Au Canada, on dit « courriel ».
6. On a sonné.
7. Ce soir, on mange chez mes parents.

Show the answers

1. On part demain.
2. On se retrouve à 8 heures.
3. On a fini.
4. On est allés à Québec.
5. people in general
6. someone
7. we

Frequently asked questions