These pronouns share identical conjugation patterns in all tenses. Il refers to a male person or masculine noun and elle to a female person or feminine noun, and on can be translated to "one" or "we" in English. On is a flexible pronoun that often replaces nous in casual speech (while keeping third-person singular conjugation). On always takes singular verb forms, even when meaning "we". Despite being singular, on often takes plural adjectives when meaning "we" (on est fatigués). It can mean:
- "One" (general/impersonal subject): On ne sait jamais (One never knows)
- "We" (informal/casual): On va au cinéma? (Shall we go to the movies?)
- "People" (general): On parle français ici (People speak French here)
- "Someone": On frappe à la porte (Someone is knocking at the door)
- "They" (impersonal): On dit que... (They say that...)
With reflexive verbs for all three pronouns, add se/s' before the verb (il se lave, elle s'habille).
Regular Conjugations
| Tense | -er | -ir (finir type) | -re |
|---|---|---|---|
| Présent | -e | -it | -t |
| Imparfait | -ait | -issait | -ait |
| Passé Composé | a + -é | a + -i | a + -u |
| Futur Simple | -era | -ira | -ra |
| Conditionnel Présent | -erait | -irait | -rait |
| Plus-que-parfait | avait + -é | avait + -i | avait + -u |
| Futur Antérieur | aura + -é | aura + -i | aura + -u |
| Conditionnel Passé | aurait + -é | aurait + -i | aurait + -u |
| Subjonctif Présent | -e | -isse | -e |
| Subjonctif Passé | ait + -é | ait + -i | ait + -u |