Breakdown of On ne se promène jamais dans la forêt.
on
one / we (informal)
dans
in, inside
ne
not (used before the verb)
la forêt
the forest
Questions & Answers about On ne se promène jamais dans la forêt.
The translation uses 'we', but isn't the French word for 'we' nous?
Yes, nous is the formal word for 'we'. However, in everyday spoken French, people almost always use on instead. Even though on literally translates to 'one', in this sentence it means 'we'.
Since on means 'we', why don't we use the nous verb form?
Why is there a se before the verb?
The verb here is se promener, which means 'to take a walk'. It is a reflexive verb, meaning it needs an extra pronoun (se) that matches the subject. Because on uses the 'he/she' verb forms, it takes the pronoun se.