French Phrase
On a oublié nos boissons ?
Meaning
Literally, “Did we forget our drinks?” It’s a casual way to check whether a group has left their beverages behind, often used right before leaving a café, a picnic spot, or a party.
When to use
Use this phrase when you’re with friends or family and you suspect the drinks you were sharing have been left behind. It works in informal settings, such as at a house party, a picnic, a restaurant table, or a school event.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onaoubliénosboissons?
On (impersonal pronoun)
In spoken French, "on" often replaces "nous" and means "we".
a (auxiliary verb)
"a" is the third‑person singular present of "avoir", used to form the passé composé.
oublié (past participle)
The past participle of "oublier" (to forget); agrees with the subject when using "être", but with "avoir" it stays unchanged.
nos (possessive adjective)
Indicates that the drinks belong to the speakers; matches the plural noun "boissons".
boissons (noun)
Plural of "boisson", meaning any kind of drink, alcoholic or not.
Question intonation
When a statement ends with a rising intonation (or a question mark in writing), it becomes a yes‑no question without changing word order.
🗨In Conversation
On a oublié nos boissons ?
Did we forget our drinks?
Oui, elles sont restées sur la table.
Yes, they’re still on the table.
✕Common Mistakes
Nous avons oublié nos boissons ?
While grammatically correct, "nous" sounds stiff in casual speech; native speakers prefer "on".
On a oublier nos boissons ?
Using the infinitive "oublier" instead of the past participle "oublié" breaks the passé composé.
On a oublié nos boisson ?
The noun must agree in number with the adjective; "boisson" is singular, so it should be "boissons".
On a oublieré nos boissons ?
The past participle is "oublié" (one ‘e’), not "oublieré".
↔Alternatives
Est‑ce qu’on a oublié nos boissons ?
Did we forget our drinks?
On a laissé nos boissons ici ?
Did we leave our drinks here?
On a oublié les boissons ?
Did we forget the drinks?
Cultural Tip
In everyday French, "on" is far more common than "nous" for the first‑person plural, especially in spoken language. The phrase is informal; in a formal context you might say "Avez‑vous oublié vos boissons ?". Also, French speakers often add a light “euh” before the question to signal uncertainty: "Euh, on a oublié nos boissons ?".