French Phrase
On n'a pas de réservation.
Meaning
The sentence means “We don’t have a reservation.” It uses the informal "on" to refer to the speaker and any companions, and the negative structure n’a pas de to indicate the lack of a booking.
When to use
Use this phrase when you arrive at a restaurant, hotel, or any service that typically requires a reservation and you need to tell the staff you haven’t booked in advance. It’s also handy when calling ahead to confirm that you haven’t made a reservation yet.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onn'apasderéservation.
On (impersonal pronoun)
In spoken French, "on" often replaces "nous" and means “we” or “one”. It’s conjugated like the third‑person singular.
Negation n'…pas
The standard French negation wraps the verb: "n'" before a vowel‑starting verb and "pas" after it.
Avoir (to have)
The verb "avoir" in the present tense, third‑person singular form is "a".
De after negation
When a noun follows a negated verb, the partitive article "un/une" or "du/de la" becomes "de" (or "d'" before a vowel).
Réservation (noun)
A feminine noun meaning “reservation” (for a table, a room, etc.).
🗨In Conversation
Vous avez une réservation pour ce soir ?
Do you have a reservation for tonight?
Non, on n'a pas de réservation.
No, we don’t have a reservation.
✕Common Mistakes
On n'a pas la réservation.
After a negation you must use "de" (or "d'") instead of the definite article "la".
On n'a pas des réservation.
The noun "réservation" is singular here; also, after negation the partitive becomes "de".
On n'a pas pas de réservation.
Do not double the negative particle; only one "pas" is needed.
↔Alternatives
Nous n'avons pas de réservation.
We don't have a reservation.
Il n'y a pas de réservation à notre nom.
There is no reservation under our name.
Nous n'avons aucune réservation.
We have no reservation at all.
Cultural Tip
In France, especially in larger cities, making a reservation for popular restaurants or hotels is considered polite and often necessary. However, many smaller bistros operate on a first‑come, first‑served basis, so you might hear "on n'a pas de réservation" frequently. Using "on" instead of "nous" sounds more casual and is the norm in everyday conversation.