on or nous? The verb always stays singular
On va au cinéma, never ~~On allons~~ — on takes exactly the same verb form as il / elle. A nous ↔ on conversion table, the two meanings of on (“we” and “someone / people”) and how to tell them apart, when to switch back to nous, plus the three rules that actually cause mistakes: on is subject-only (avec nous, not ~~avec on~~), the reflexive is se (On se lève, not ~~On nous levons~~), and inversion needs -t- after a vowel (Où va-t-on ?).
🎯 This page is about the single word on: which verb form it takes, where it may sit in the sentence, and when you have to switch back to nous. For the full subject-pronoun table (je/tu/il…, tu vs vous, ils vs elles) see “Subject pronouns”.
🔁 Conjugation: copy the il / elle column
on means “we” but takes the third-person singular form. One line to remember: on has the form of “he” and the meaning of “we”.
| With nous | With on | Note |
|---|---|---|
| nous allons | on va | ❌ |
| nous sommes | on est | liaison — don't break between the two |
| nous avons | on a | liaison as well |
| nous faisons | on fait | |
| nous prenons | on prend | |
| nous nous levons | on se lève | the reflexive pronoun also becomes se |
Compound tenses work the same way — the auxiliary stays singular:
- nous avons mangé → on a mangé
- nous sommes partis → on est parti(s)
🔊 These are the lines that slip past you in listening tasks: On y va ! (let's go) · On commence ? (shall we start?) · On se voit demain. (see you tomorrow)
💬 The two meanings of on: context decides, the verb stays singular
| Meaning | Example | How to spot it |
|---|---|---|
| ＝ nous (we) | On part demain matin. We leave tomorrow morning. | it's about the speaker's own group |
| ＝ someone / people | On sonne à la porte. Someone's at the door. | it's a rule, a habit, something heard, or the agent is unknown |
- On parle français au Québec. French is spoken in Quebec. (people)
- On m'a dit que c'est fermé. Someone told me it's closed.
💡 English reaches for someone, people or the passive here; French requires a subject, and that slot belongs to on. Don't force
quelqu'unorles gensinto the sentence.
🆚 So when do you use nous?
Both are correct — the difference is register. This section is about style; the next one is about right and wrong.
| Where | Examples | |
|---|---|---|
| on | everyday conversation, the speaking exam, among friends; almost everything spoken uses on | On y va ? · On s'appelle ce soir. |
| nous | essays, emails, formal settings, speeches; writing leans on nous | Nous vous remercions. · Nous avons constaté que… |
In speech the two can appear together, the first one adding emphasis:
Nous, on part demain. As for us, we're leaving tomorrow.
The verb still follows on → on part. ❌
Nous, on partons
⚠️ In a written text, pick one and keep it: starting with nous and drifting into on reads as inconsistent.
⚡ Three rules that really do cause mistakes
① on is a subject and nothing else
on has no object form and no stressed form. The moment you leave the subject slot, you need nous:
- Tu viens avec nous ? Are you coming with us? ❌
avec on - C'est pour nous. ❌
pour on - Il vient chez nous. ❌
chez on - Nous, on part demain. (fronted emphasis also takes nous)
Quick test: the slot right before the verb can take on; after a preposition, or standing alone at the front for emphasis, only nous works. See “Object pronouns”.
② The reflexive is se, not nous
With nous the reflexive pronoun is nous (nous nous levons); switch to on and it moves to the third person:
- On se lève à 7 h. We get up at 7. ❌
On nous levons❌On se levons - On se voit demain.
- On s'est bien amusés.
③ Inversion: add -t- only after a vowel
- Où va-t-on ? Where are we going? ❌
Où va-on ? - Comment parle-t-on de ça ?
- If the verb form already ends in t / d, add nothing: Que fait-on ? · Prend-on le bus ?
💡 That -t- exists purely to keep two vowels apart; it carries no meaning. Spoken French skips inversion altogether — On va où ? is enough. For the three ways of asking a question, see “Negation and questions”.
🧩 Everything attached to on goes third person too
- Possessives: notre / nos — On prend notre voiture. We're taking our car. (full table in “Possessive adjectives”)
- Adjectives and participles: when on is indefinite, use masculine singular (On est content quand il fait beau); when on clearly means “we”, agreement with the real subject is common in writing (On est allés au cinéma). Both spellings occur; the singular will never be marked wrong. Details in “Past participle agreement”.
Shortcut
on: the form of “he”, the meaning of “we”. Verb always singular (on va, ❌ on allons) · reflexive se (On se lève) · outside the subject slot switch to nous (avec nous) · inversion takes -t- after a vowel (Où va-t-on ?) · on when speaking, nous when writing, and never alternate within one text.