French Phrase
On peut prendre rendez‑vous en ligne ?
Meaning
The speaker is asking whether it is possible to schedule an appointment through a website or an app. The use of ‘on’ makes the request sound inclusive (‘Can we…?’) rather than a single person’s request.
When to use
Use this sentence when you call a doctor’s office, a hair salon, a government service, or any business that offers appointments and you want to know if they accept online bookings.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onpeutprendrerendez‑vousenligne?
On (impersonal pronoun)
‘On’ is an indefinite pronoun that can mean ‘we’, ‘one’, or ‘people in general’; it is very common in spoken French.
Peut (present of pouvoir)
‘Peut’ is the third‑person singular present of the modal verb ‘pouvoir’ (to be able to). It agrees with the subject ‘on’.
Infinitive after pouvoir
When a modal verb like ‘pouvoir’ is used, it is followed by an infinitive verb—in this case ‘prendre’ (to take/ to make).
Rendez‑vous (compound noun)
‘Rendez‑vous’ is a fixed expression meaning ‘appointment’; the hyphen is mandatory.
En ligne (prepositional phrase)
‘En ligne’ literally means ‘in line’, i.e., ‘online’. It functions as an adverbial complement indicating where the appointment can be made.
Question intonation vs. inversion
The sentence is a statement with rising intonation, not an inverted question (e.g., ‘Peut‑on…?’). Both are correct, but the intonation form is more informal.
🗨In Conversation
On peut prendre rendez‑vous en ligne ?
Can we make an appointment online?
Oui, il suffit de cliquer sur le bouton « Prendre rendez‑vous » sur notre site.
Yes, just click the ‘Make an appointment’ button on our website.
✕Common Mistakes
Nous peut prendre rendez‑vous en ligne ?
‘Peut’ must agree with the subject; use ‘nous pouvons’ or keep ‘on peut’. ‘Nous peut’ is grammatically incorrect.
On peut prendre rendez vous en ligne ?
The noun is always written with a hyphen: ‘rendez‑vous’. Without the hyphen it is considered a spelling mistake.
On peut prendre rendez‑vous sur internet ?
Do not replace it with ‘sur internet’ unless you want a less formal phrasing; the idiomatic expression is ‘en ligne’.
↔Alternatives
Est‑ce qu’on peut prendre rendez‑vous en ligne ?
Is it possible to make an appointment online?
Peut‑on prendre rendez‑vous en ligne ?
Can one make an appointment online?
Pouvons‑nous prendre rendez‑vous en ligne ?
Can we make an appointment online?
Cultural Tip
In France, many services have moved to digital booking, especially after 2020. When you ask ‘On peut… ?’, you’re using a polite, slightly informal tone. If you need a more formal register (e.g., speaking to a government office), you might prefer ‘Est‑ce qu’il est possible de prendre rendez‑vous en ligne ?’. Remember to keep the hyphen in ‘rendez‑vous’; omitting it is a common spelling error.