French Phrase
On doit finaliser le design.
Meaning
The sentence states an obligation to finish the design work, typically referring to the visual or functional layout of a product, website, or project. It conveys a sense of urgency and collective responsibility.
When to use
Use this phrase in team meetings, project updates, or any professional context where you need to remind colleagues that the design phase must be completed before moving on to the next step.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ondoitfinaliserledesign
On (impersonal pronoun)
In spoken French, "on" often replaces "nous" and means “we” or “one”. It triggers third‑person singular verb forms.
Devoir (obligation)
"Doit" is the third‑person singular present of devoir, meaning “must” or “have to”.
-iser verbs
Verbs ending in -iser (e.g., finaliser) are regular; they conjugate like finir (finaliser → je finalise, tu finalises, …).
Le design (loanword)
"Design" is an English loanword used in French tech and creative fields; it remains masculine, so it takes the article le.
🗨In Conversation
Le prototype est prêt, mais il manque la mise en page.
The prototype is ready, but the layout is missing.
On doit finaliser le design avant de le présenter au client.
We have to finalize the design before presenting it to the client.
✕Common Mistakes
Je doit finaliser le design.
The verb devoir must agree with the subject; use "Je dois" for first‑person singular.
On doit finaliser design.
French nouns need an article; say "le design" or "un design".
On doit finaliser le designs.
Design is singular and masculine; the article stays "le" and the noun does not take an -s.
↔Alternatives
Il faut finaliser le design.
The design must be finalized.
Nous devons finaliser le design.
We must finalize the design.
Il est nécessaire de finaliser le design.
It is necessary to finalize the design.
Cultural Tip
In informal spoken French, "on" is preferred over "nous" for “we”. However, in formal writing or very polite contexts, switch to "nous". The word "design" is widely accepted in French tech jargon, but in more traditional contexts you might hear "conception" instead.