French Phrase
On va en préparer un.
Meaning
The sentence means “We’re going to prepare one (of them).” The pronoun “en” stands in for something previously mentioned, such as a type of food, a document, or any countable item.
When to use
Use this phrase when you and your conversation partner have already talked about a certain thing and you want to say that you’ll make or prepare one of those things soon.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onvaenpréparerun
On (impersonal "we")
"On" is the informal spoken equivalent of "nous" and is used for "we" or generic statements.
Future proche (aller + infinitive)
The construction "aller + infinitive" expresses a near‑future action, similar to "going to" in English.
Pronoun "en"
"En" replaces a noun introduced by "de" (or an indefinite quantity) and is placed before the infinitive in the future proche.
Infinitive "préparer"
The main verb stays in its infinitive form after the auxiliary "aller".
Indefinite article "un"
"Un" refers to a single, masculine item that will be prepared.
🗨In Conversation
On a besoin de plus de croissants pour le petit‑déjeuner.
We need more croissants for breakfast.
On va en préparer un tout de suite.
We’ll prepare one right away.
✕Common Mistakes
On va le préparer un.
"Le" replaces a direct object, not a noun introduced by "de"; here you need "en".
Nous va en préparer un.
The verb must agree with the subject; use "Nous allons" or keep the informal "On va".
On va préparer en un.
"En" must come before the infinitive, not after it.
↔Alternatives
Nous allons en préparer un.
We are going to prepare one.
On va en faire un.
We’ll make one of them.
On va préparer un de ceux‑ci.
We’ll prepare one of these.
Cultural Tip
In everyday French, "on" is far more common than "nous" for the first‑person plural, especially in informal settings. The pronoun "en" is a handy way to avoid repetition, but remember it must always precede the infinitive in the future proche construction.