Learn French: On est là.

On est là.

We are there.

Breakdown of On est là.

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Questions & Answers about On est là.

Why does on mean "we" here, and why does it use the singular verb est?

In everyday spoken French, on is almost always used instead of nous to say "we". Even though it means a plural "we", grammatically it acts exactly like il (he) or elle (she). That is why it pairs with the singular verb est (is). Literally, it is like saying "one is there".

Why does là have an accent mark on the 'a'?

The accent mark (a grave accent) changes the meaning of the word without changing how it sounds. La (without the accent) means "the" for feminine words, which you are learning in this lesson! Meanwhile, là (with the accent) means "there" or "here".

The translation says "We are there", but can là also mean "here"?

Yes! Strictly speaking, là means "there" and ici means "here". However, in casual French, people use là for both. If you want to say "We are here" because you just arrived at a restaurant, you will very likely say On est là.

Do I connect the words on and est when speaking?

Yes, you do! This is called a liaison. Because on ends in a consonant and est starts with a vowel, you flow them together. It sounds like "on-nest". Also, remember that the 's' and 't' at the end of est are totally silent.