French Phrase
On a fini la phase 1.
Meaning
‘We have finished phase 1.’ The sentence announces the completion of the first stage of a project or process. It uses the passé composé to indicate a recent, completed action.
When to use
Use this phrase in meetings, status reports, or casual conversations when you want to inform colleagues that the first milestone of a project is done and you’re ready to move on.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onafinilaphase1
On (impersonal pronoun)
‘On’ is a neutral pronoun that can mean ‘we’, ‘people’ or ‘one’; in spoken French it often replaces ‘nous’ in informal contexts.
Passé composé with ‘avoir’
The verb ‘finir’ forms the passé composé with the auxiliary ‘avoir’: ‘a fini’. The past participle does not agree with the subject.
Past participle agreement
When ‘avoir’ is used, the past participle only agrees with a preceding direct object, which is not the case here, so ‘fini’ stays unchanged.
Noun phrase ‘la phase 1’
‘Phase’ is a feminine noun; the definite article ‘la’ is required, and the numeral ‘1’ can be written as a digit or spelled ‘un’.
🗨In Conversation
On a fini la phase 1.
We have finished phase 1.
Super, on peut passer à la phase 2.
Great, we can move on to phase 2.
✕Common Mistakes
On est fini la phase 1.
‘Finir’ uses the auxiliary ‘avoir’, not ‘être’, in the passé composé.
On a fini phase 1.
The article ‘la’ cannot be omitted; French nouns need a determiner.
On a fini la phase un.
When the numeral follows the noun, it is usually written as a digit or as ‘un’ without the article ‘la’. Use ‘la phase 1’ or ‘la première phase’.
↔Alternatives
Nous avons terminé la phase 1.
We have completed phase 1.
La première phase est terminée.
The first phase is finished.
La phase 1 est achevée.
Phase 1 is completed.
Cultural Tip
In French business and project management, ‘phase’ is a common way to break down work into steps. While ‘on’ is informal, it is widely accepted in team settings and can sound more collaborative than the formal ‘nous’. In written reports, you may prefer ‘Nous avons…’ for a more formal tone.