on

Meaning

1. one, people, you, someone (an unspecified individual)
2. (informal) we

Concepts

one

they

you

men

we

people

hands

manpower

workforce

augmentative

boy

work force

labor force

labour force

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɔ̃/

Etymology

Inherited from Old French hom, om (nominative form), from Latin homō (“human being”) (compare homme from the Old French oblique form home, from the Latin accusative form hominem). Its pronominal use is of Germanic origin. Compare Old English man (“one, they, people”), reduced form of Old English mann (“person”); Catalan hom; German man (“one, they, people”); Dutch men (“one, they, people”). In the second sense, meaning "we", also compare the development Malay kita orang (“we (incl.) + person”) and also dialectal kitorang, kitong, torang.

Sentences

Après , on ne peut plus compter .

After that, we can no longer count.

En général , on célèbre cette journée le troisième lundi de janvier .

In general, this day is celebrated on the third Monday in January.

Pourquoi on ne traduit plus les titres en anglais ?!

Why don't we translate titles into English anymore?!

Comme on a atterri dans le coin , j’ai pensé à toi .

As we landed in the area, I thought of you.

Rabat-joie ! Mais tu sais , on n’a pas besoin de toi . On est où , là ?

Rabat-joie! But you know, we don't need you. Where are we?

Depuis lors , on n'avait plus de ses nouvelles .

Since then, we haven't heard from him.

La veille de l'enterrement, on dépose le corps dans une église .

The day before the funeral, the body is placed in a church.

Le confinement , on aurait aimé pouvoir s’en passer .

Lockdown, we would have liked to have been able to do without it.