#like i need to actively remind myself to switch between formal and informal and different genders and such
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seawitchkaraoke · 1 year ago
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So when does french actually use "on"? I was taught back in school that it's equivalent to the german "man" which we basically use as a passive third passive singular kinda like "one shouldn't do that" (which obviously english doesn't use much but it exists)
But I'm now doing the duolingo french course from english and there they consistently translate "on" with "we". In some sentences both versions make sense, but I just got "Ils savent qu'on va en Australie" which the english translation "they know we're going to Australia" makes sense but the translation I learned back in school for this would be smth like "they know, one goes to Australia" (or "sie wissen, dass man nach Australien geht*)
Which.... Is a completely different meaning that doesn't make a lot of sense like "one goes to Australia"? What? Is that just a common thing one does? Would only make sense for like, idk if this is about middle class germans doing a gap year after high school, bc yeah sure there going to Australia sure is a common thing to do
But if my french teacher was wrong and it's actually always "we" then... When do I use "nous" and when "on"?
Languages are confusing and I am doing three way translations here trying to make sense of everything, it's hard lmao
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