Subject pronoun – on

On is a subject pronoun with no exact English equivalent. It's used constantly in spoken French and always takes the il/elle form of the verb.

On = we (informal)

In everyday speech, on very often replaces nous:

• On va au cinéma ce soir.We're going to the cinema tonight.
• On est très proches, ma sœur et moi.My sister and I are very close.
• On y va ?Shall we go? / Let's go!

On and nous mean the same here, but the verb is different:

• On est contents.Nous sommes contents.

When on means we, adjectives and past participles usually agree in the plural (On est contents).

On = people, one, you (in general)

On also refers to people in general, like English you or one:

• En France, on mange tard.In France, people eat late.
• On ne sait jamais.You never know.
• Si on travaille dur, on réussit.If you work hard, you succeed.

It's often used for rules and customs:

• On ne doit pas parler la bouche pleine.You mustn't talk with your mouth full.

On = someone, they

• On a volé mon vélo !Someone stole my bike!
• On dit que c'est cher.They say it's expensive.
• On parle français ici.French is spoken here.

That last one shows that French often uses on where English uses the passive. See The passive voice.

The verb is always singular: on va, never on allons. And use nous (not on) in formal writing.