Subject pronouns, tu / vous and on
French always needs a subject pronoun, as English does: the verb endings sound alike, so the pronoun shows who is speaking.
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | je / j’ (I) | nous (we) |
| 2nd | tu (you, informal) | vous (you, plural or formal) |
| 3rd | il (he, it), elle (she, it), on (one, we) | ils / elles (they) |
tu or vous?
- tu: friends, family, children, young colleagues once they offer it.
- vous: strangers, older people, officials, customers, and always for more than one person.
- ils for any group including at least one man; elles only for all-female groups.
on: the everyday “we”
on takes the il/elle verb form. In speech it usually means we: On va au cinéma ? It also means “people, one”: Ici on parle français.
Examples
- Je suis ukrainienne et il est français.I am Ukrainian and he is French.
- Vous êtes madame Martin ?Are you Mrs Martin?
- On se voit demain ?Shall we meet tomorrow?
- Elles habitent à Lyon.They (women) live in Lyon.
- Nous habitons à Paris et ils habitent à Nice.We live in Paris and they live in Nice.
Common mistakes
- ✗ Excusez-moi, tu es monsieur Martin ?✓ Excusez-moi, vous êtes monsieur Martin ?A stranger is addressed with vous, a distinction English you does not make.
- ✗ On sommes au cinéma.✓ On est au cinéma.On takes the same verb form as il and elle, even though it means we.
- ✗ Ils sont quatre filles.✓ Elles sont quatre filles.A group made up only of women is elles, since ils is for mixed or male groups.
- ✗ Tu êtes mon ami.✓ Tu es mon ami.Tu goes with es, while êtes belongs only to vous.
- ✗ Marie et Paul parlent. Elles sont amis.✓ Marie et Paul parlent. Ils sont amis.A group that includes at least one man is ils, while English they has no gender.