Question 1

Why does the translation say "we" when the French word used is on?

Accepted Answer

In everyday spoken French, on is almost always used instead of nous to mean "we". While on traditionally translates to "one" (as in "one must be careful"), native speakers use it constantly as an informal "we".

Question 2

If on means "we", why isn't the verb conjugated as proposons?

Accepted Answer

Even though on means "we" in conversation, it is still grammatically a third-person singular pronoun. You must always conjugate the verb exactly as you would for il (he) or elle (she). That is why we use propose instead of the nous form (proposons).

Question 3

Where exactly do ne and pas go when making this sentence negative?

Accepted Answer

The negative words sandwich the conjugated verb. The ne goes directly after the subject on, and the pas goes right after the verb propose. This gives us on ne propose pas (we don't suggest).

Question 4

Why is there no est-ce que in this question?

Accepted Answer

In informal, spoken French (which matches the casual use of on), you can ask a question simply by putting a question word like pourquoi (why) at the beginning of a normal statement. You don't need to add est-ce que or flip the subject and verb around.

Question 5

Is propose the usual way to say "suggest" in French?

Accepted Answer

Yes! The verb proposer looks exactly like the English word "to propose", and while it can mean that, it is the most common, everyday way to say "to suggest" an idea, an activity, or a place like un musée.

Pourquoi on ne propose pas un musée ?

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