"On est gentilS"?

Question

You give the example "On est gentils" - should that be "On est gentil" (i.e. the adjective is singular after 'on' even if I'm using "on" to talk about a group of people)? Or am I mistaken? Thank you.

Accepted Answer

"On" can be used as an informal "we" or a more impersonal, general subject like the English "one". Depending on which one it is, one uses either the plural (when used as "we") or the singular (when used as "one").
On est allés au cinéma hier soir. -- We went to the movies yesterday evening.Olivier et moi, on est mariés. -- Oliver and I, we are married.Quand on est poli, on accueille les invités. -- If one is polite, one welcomes the guests.
The first two sentences are examples of "on" meaning "we"; the last one features "on" as "one".
-- Chris (not a native speaker).

Answer

Thank you, that's very helpful.