French Phrase
On est prêts à payer.
Meaning
Literally, “We are ready to pay.” It expresses willingness and preparedness to settle a bill or make a payment, often used in business or casual transactions.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to confirm that you (or a group you represent) are prepared to pay for a service, product, or bill, especially in a polite or slightly formal context.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onestprêtsàpayer
On as informal 'we'
'On' is an informal pronoun that can mean 'we' in spoken French; it takes singular verb forms but can agree with adjectives as a plural when referring to a group.
Être conjugation
'Est' is the third‑person singular present of 'être', used with 'on'.
Adjective agreement with 'on'
When 'on' refers to a group, the adjective can be put in the plural (prêts) to match the implied plural meaning.
Infinitive after à
The preposition 'à' introduces an infinitive verb (payer) to express purpose or intention.
🗨In Conversation
Le prix vous convient‑il ?
Does the price suit you?
Oui, on est prêts à payer.
Yes, we are ready to pay.
✕Common Mistakes
On est prêt à payer.
Using the singular adjective 'prêt' sounds odd when 'on' refers to a group; the plural 'prêts' matches the implied plural meaning.
On sont prêts à payer.
The verb 'être' must stay singular with 'on' (est), not 'sont'.
On est prêtes à payer.
Use the masculine plural 'prêts' unless the group is explicitly all female.
↔Alternatives
Nous sommes prêts à payer.
We are ready to pay.
On est disposés à payer.
We are willing to pay.
On est prêts à régler la note.
We are ready to settle the bill.
Cultural Tip
In everyday French, 'on' replaces 'nous' in most spoken contexts, making speech sound more natural. However, remember that adjectives can agree in the plural (prêts) when 'on' clearly refers to a group. In formal writing, prefer 'Nous sommes prêts à payer.'