nous sommes anglais
The phrase 'we are english' in French is nous sommes anglais.
This phrase is used to state that the speakers are from England.
Which one should you use?
For instance, on est anglais is used in casual settings and On vient d'Angleterre serves as a colloquial way to say 'We come from England'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective changes based on the gender of the group. Use nous sommes anglais if the group consists of all men or a mix of men and women. If the group of speakers consists entirely of women, use nous sommes anglaises. Additionally, in casual spoken French, the phrase nous sommes is often replaced by on est to mean 'we are', such as in on est anglais.
Did you know?
- Using je to mean 'we' was once seen as a mark of the peasantry and was mocked by the 17th-century playwright Molière.
- The pronoun nous descends from the Latin nōs, which is a distant relative of the English word 'us'.
- Different regional languages in France use various forms for 'we', such as nouz in Gallo or nosaltres in Catalan.
Examples in context
- Nous sommes anglais, mais nous habitons à Paris.We are English, but we live in Paris.
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are introducing themselves to a new neighbor.
- LéaD'où venez-vous ?Where are you from?
- HugoNous sommes anglais, Hugo et moi.We are English, Hugo and I.
- LéaEnchantée de vous rencontrer !Nice to meet you!
- HugoMerci beaucoup, Léa.Thank you very much, Léa.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries anglais, nous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
