Verb usage with "on"

Anna J.C1Kwiziq community member

Verb usage with "on"

"On _______ d'envie de la rencontrer ! (We're dying to meet her.)"


I used the first person plural form of the verb for two reasons. Because the explanatory sentence used "we", not "one" or "people", and because although we may well know that everyone in our group is dying to meet her, we certainly cannot know that about the general public.

Why was this wrong?

Asked 3 years ago
CélineNative French expert teacher in KwiziqCorrect answer

Bonjour Anna,

To supplement Matthew's excellent answer, when the subject pronoun 'on' is used the verb is always conjugated in the 3rd person singular 

il/elle/on meurt  

il/elle/on joue  

il/elle/on finit

 See links here: nous-versus-on  -  on-can-mean-we-one-and-people 

I hope this is helpful.

Bonne journée !

M. E.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Salut Anna, 

On can be a direct alternative to nous, meaning 'we', (everyone in our group, as you put it), in addition to meaning 'one'. In that case, you would still use the 3rd person singular rather than the 1st person plural in the present tense despite there being more than one person doing the thing. 

 

Matthew

Verb usage with "on"

"On _______ d'envie de la rencontrer ! (We're dying to meet her.)"


I used the first person plural form of the verb for two reasons. Because the explanatory sentence used "we", not "one" or "people", and because although we may well know that everyone in our group is dying to meet her, we certainly cannot know that about the general public.

Why was this wrong?

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