French Phrase
On a besoin de lessive.
Meaning
The sentence means “We need laundry detergent.” It uses the impersonal pronoun "on" to speak informally about a group that includes the speaker, and the fixed expression "avoir besoin de" to express a necessity.
When to use
Use this phrase when you’re talking about household chores, shopping lists, or any situation where you or your group realize you’re out of detergent. It’s common in casual conversation among friends or family.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onabesoindelessive
On (impersonal "we")
"On" is an informal pronoun that can mean "we" or a general "one" in everyday French.
a besoin de (need)
"A besoin de" is the third‑person singular form of the verb phrase "avoir besoin de" meaning "to need" and always takes the preposition "de" before the object.
Lessive (laundry detergent)
"Lessive" refers to washing powder or detergent; it is a feminine singular noun, so the article would be "la lessive" if used alone.
Negation pattern
To make the sentence negative, wrap "ne…pas" around the verb: "On n’a pas besoin de lessive."
🗨In Conversation
On a besoin de lessive, tu peux en acheter au magasin ?
We need laundry detergent, can you buy some at the store?
Oui, je passe en bas tout de suite.
Sure, I’ll go down right away.
✕Common Mistakes
On a besoin à lessive.
The verb phrase always uses "de" after "besoin", not "à".
On a besoin des lessive.
When "lessive" is used without an article after "besoin de", you keep it singular; adding "les" changes the meaning to "the detergents" and sounds unnatural.
On a besoin de la lessive.
While grammatically correct, native speakers usually drop the article after "besoin de" when speaking about a generic need.
↔Alternatives
Nous avons besoin de lessive.
We need laundry detergent.
Il faut de la lessive.
We need some laundry detergent.
Il nous faut de la lessive.
We need laundry detergent.
Cultural Tip
In French, "on" replaces "nous" in most spoken contexts, especially among younger speakers. "Lessive" can mean powder detergent; if you need liquid detergent you’d say "détergent liquide". Also, French households often keep a small stock of "lessive" in the bathroom cabinet, so the phrase can imply a quick trip to the nearby shop.