Challenge #5

I think explaining the difference between “nous” and “on” is one of the top 5 questions I get asked about French.

Unfortunately, I have noticed that most of the time, people have had an explanation that is too brief, too simplistic, so they are a bit lost with this concept.

Much like the difference between “tu” and “vous”, we can quickly realize that the explanations needed to master these two pronouns go beyond a simple sentence.

Uniformity in the French-speaking world

First of all, it is interesting to note that the use of “nous” and “on” is the same, whether in Quebec, France or any other French-speaking country. It seems that on this subject, the French language is evolving identically around the world.

Is there really a difference between “nous” and “on” if both refer to a group of people?

The answer is both yes and no.

Both the “tu” and the formal “vous” refer to a single person, and while everyone will understand you no matter which of the two you use, we saw in this article (link) that things are a little more complicated.

It’s exactly the same for “nous” and “on”.

Indeed, both pronouns refer to a group of people. Also, this concept is, in my opinion, easier to master than “tu” and “vous”, since in most situations you can use either without any problem.

When to use “nous”?

The use of “nous” is the most widely understood, I think, since it refers directly to “we” in English. I’ve never met anyone learning French who misused the pronoun “nous”.

“Nous” is mainly used in two situations:

• To talk about a group of people to which we belong
  • Ex: Mes sœurs et moi (nous) sommes allées rendre visite à notre grand-mère. Eg: My sisters and I (we) went to visit our grandmother.
• For more formal situations such as newscasts or professional presentations
  • Ex: (Dans une offre d’emploi écrite) Nous sommes à la recherche d’une personne motivée et dynamique pour combler le poste de… (In a written job offer) We are looking for a motivated and dynamic person to fill the position of…

Therefore, on the news, the presenter will say “Nous venons tout juste d’être informés que…” (We’ve just been informed that…) and never “On vient d’apprendre que…”

In a professional email, I will always write “Nous vous écrivons aujourd’hui afin de connaître votre décision au sujet de….” (We are writing to you today to find out your decision about…). This example combines both situations, since I am talking about my work team (we want to know the décision) in a professional context. 

However, “nous” can just as easily be used orally in a more informal setting. It would be perfectly normal for me to say to a friend: “Hier, mes parents et moi (nous) sommes allés au restaurant” (Yesterday, my parents and I (we) went to a restaurant.).

So why is “on” used so much in French?

When to use “on”?

The pronoun “on” is often used to refer to “nous” (we), but this is not its only use in the French language. “On” can refer to several people as well as a single person. The context will tell. 

As you will see below, the pronoun “On” is used in five situations: three in which it designates a group of people, and two in which it designates a single person.

The pronoun “on” is used mainly in five situations:

3 situations to talk about several people:

• To talk about “we”, especially orally
  • Eg: On est en route, mais on va être en retard. (We are on our way, but we will be late.)
• To refer to the majority, as if to say “everyone”.
  • Eg: Au Canada, on conduit à droite sur la route. (In Canada, we drive on the right side of the road.)
• To refer to a group of people for whom it’s not possible to identify everyone.
  • Eg: Quand j’étais à l’école primaire, on m’a appris à lever la main pour poser une question. (When I was in elementary school, I was taught to raise my hand to ask a question.)

2 situations to talk about a single person:

• To talk about a person whose identity must not be revealed.
  • Eg: On m’a dit que c’est toi qui a déclenché l’alarme de feu! (I have been told it was you who set off the fire alarm!)
• To speak of a person whose identity is not known.
  • Eg: On est venu déposer ce colis devant ma porte. (Someone left this package on my doorstep.)

Why conjugate “on” in the 3rd person singular?

The pronoun “on” is always conjugated in the 3rd person singular, just like “il” or “elle”. Why if we are talking about several people? As the previous examples show, “on” can be replaced by “tout le monde” (everyone), “le groupe” (the group), “une personne” (one) or “quelqu’un” (someone), and all these terms are conjugated in the 3rd person singular.

Let’s take the examples again, changing the “on” to better illustrate my point.

1. On est en route, mais on va être en retard. → Le groupe dont je fais partie (the group I belong to) est en route, mais notre groupe (our group) va être en retard.
2. Au Canada, on conduit à droite sur la route.→ Au Canada, tout le monde (everyone) conduit à droite sur la route.
3. Quand j’étais à l’école primaire, on m’a appris à lever la main pour poser une question.→ Quand j’étais à l’école primaire, le groupe des enseignants (the teachers’ group) m’a appris à lever la main pour poser une question.
4. On m’a dit que c’est toi qui a déclenché l’alarme de feu!→ Quelqu’un (someone/ one) m’a dit que c’est toi qui a déclenché l’alarme de feu!
5. On est venu déposer ce colis devant ma porte.→ Une personne (someone) est venue déposer ce colis devant ma porte.

Your challenge

I invite you to transform these few sentences to become comfortable switching from “nous” to “on” and vice versa. Answers will be published on our Facebook and LinkedIn page.

Transform these sentences using “On”:

1. Ce soir, nous allons au cinéma voir un film dont nous attendons la sortie depuis longtemps.
2. Nous sommes malades alors, nous restons à la maison.
3. Mon frère et moi sommes nés dans les années 90.
4. Mes amis et moi avons tellement eu chaud hier que nous nous sommes baignés dans la piscine tout l’après-midi.

Transform these sentences using “Nous”:

1. Demain, on va faire un exposé oral à l’école.
2. On a beaucoup aimé les leçons d’équitation.
3. On ne savait pas que la banque était fermée aujourd’hui.
4. On planifie d’aller au Portugal pour nos prochaines vacances.

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