Alternative au passif : pronom "on"

In a typical passive sentence, the object of the action becomes the subject. For example, "The pizza is eaten." In French, a direct translation would be La pizza est mangée. That is a lot of work just to talk about a snack! You have to worry about verb agreement and the gender of the pizza.

Instead, French speakers use on. They say On mange la pizza. Literally, this means "One eats the pizza." However, in real-life context, it translates to "The pizza is being eaten" or "They are eating the pizza." The focus stays on the action of eating. The person doing it is just "someone" or "people in general." It is like a blurry face in a background photo. The action is the star of the show. You get to skip complex grammar and just use the third-person singular. It is efficient, fast, and very common in everyday life.

1. 1Follow these four easy steps to master the on shortcut.
2. 2Start with the subject pronoun on.
3. 3Identify your main verb.
4. 4Conjugate that verb exactly like il or elle (third-person singular).
5. 5Place the object of the action right after the verb.
6. 6Example: If you want to say "Flowers are sold here," don't struggle with the passive. Just use on + vendre (to sell) + des fleurs.
7. 7Result: On vend des fleurs ici.
8. 8It is that simple. No need to worry about the gender of the flowers. No need to worry about plural endings on the verb. Just on plus the simple verb form. It is like a grammar "easy mode" for your brain.

Use on when the person performing the action is a mystery. If you walk outside and your bike is gone, you say: On a volé mon vélo ! (Someone stole my bike / My bike was stolen). You don't know who did it, so on is perfect.

Use it for general rules or signs in the real world. If you are at a museum, you might see a sign that says On ne fume pas ici (No smoking here / One does not smoke here). It applies to everyone.

Use it when ordering food or in shops. If you are at a café and want to know if they take cards, ask: On accepte la carte ? (Do you accept cards / Are cards accepted?). It sounds much more natural than the formal vous.

Use it to describe a general vibe or situation. "One feels good here" becomes On se sent bien ici. It also works perfectly for giving directions. "You turn left" can be On tourne à gauche. It feels friendly and less like a command.

Don't use on if the specific person doing the action is the most important part of the story. If your mom made a special cake for your birthday, you should say Maman a fait le gâteau. If you say On a fait le gâteau, it sounds like a random stranger did it! Your mom might get a little offended.

Also, avoid using on in very formal legal documents or high-level academic writing. Lawyers and professors love the heavy, traditional passive voice. But for 99% of your daily life—talking to friends, shopping, or at work—on is the better choice. Think of it like a grammar traffic light: use it when the "who" is a green light for anonymity.

The biggest trap for learners is the plural. Because on often translates to "we" or "they" in our heads, many people try to use a plural verb. They might say On mangent. Stop! This is a red light. Even if you mean a thousand people, on always takes a singular verb. Always say On mange.

Another mistake is trying to add the word par (by) to an on sentence. You cannot say On mange la pomme par moi. That makes no sense. If you use on, the "who" is already handled by the pronoun itself. Keep your sentences lean and simple.

Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes! Usually, they just get lazy and forget the ne in negative sentences, saying On sait pas instead of On ne sait pas. As a beginner, try to keep the ne for clarity, but don't panic if you hear locals skipping it.

How does on compare to using ils (they)? If you use ils, you are usually pointing to a specific group of people you already mentioned. On is much more vague. It is the "anonymous they."

How does it compare to the formal passive?

Formal: Le pain est cuit au four (The bread is baked in the oven). This sounds like a line from a textbook or a very fancy menu.

Natural: On cuit le pain au four. This sounds like you are actually standing in the bakery. It is more alive and active. It is the difference between looking at a photo of a party and actually being at the party.