French Phrase
On commence par le placard.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘We start with the closet.’ It is typically used when giving a step‑by‑step plan, for example when cleaning, organizing a room, or preparing a space.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to indicate the first task in a sequence of actions, especially in household or work‑related contexts. It works well in informal spoken French and in instructional settings.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Oncommenceparleplacard.
On (impersonal pronoun)
‘On’ is an indefinite pronoun that often means ‘we’ in everyday French, especially for instructions or shared actions.
Commencer (present tense)
‘Commencer’ is a regular -er verb; in the present tense for ‘on’ it becomes ‘commence’ (no -s).
Par (preposition of sequence)
‘Par’ introduces the first element in a series, equivalent to ‘by’ or ‘starting with’ in English.
Le placard (noun phrase)
‘Placard’ is a masculine noun meaning ‘closet’ or ‘cupboard’; the definite article ‘le’ agrees with its gender.
🗨In Conversation
On commence par le placard, puis on passe à la cuisine.
We’ll start with the closet, then move on to the kitchen.
D’accord, je range les vêtements pendant que tu nettoies le sol.
Okay, I’ll sort the clothes while you clean the floor.
✕Common Mistakes
On commence au le placard.
‘Au’ combines ‘à le’ and is used for location, not for indicating the first step.
On commence à le placard.
‘Commencer à’ is followed by an infinitive verb, not a noun.
On commence par la placard.
‘Placard’ is masculine; the correct article is ‘le’.
↔Alternatives
On débute par le placard.
We begin with the closet.
Nous commençons par le placard.
We start with the closet.
On commence par le dressing.
We start with the wardrobe.
Cultural Tip
In French, ‘on’ is the go‑to pronoun for informal instructions; it sounds less formal than ‘nous’. Also, ‘placard’ is more common for a built‑in cupboard, while ‘dressing’ or ‘armoire’ may be used for a freestanding wardrobe. Remember that ‘par’ marks the starting point, whereas ‘à’ would indicate a destination (e.g., ‘commencer à…’ is incorrect here).