French Phrase
On a besoin d'une table pour un fauteuil roulant.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘We need a table for a wheelchair.’ It is a practical request, often heard in hospitals, care homes, or when adapting a home for accessibility.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are discussing equipment needed for a person who uses a wheelchair—whether you are speaking to a caregiver, a supplier, or a public service representative. It works in both formal and informal contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onabesoind'unetablepourunfauteuilroulant
On (impersonal pronoun)
‘On’ is used like ‘we’ or ‘one’ in English; it is the most common way to make a neutral statement in spoken French.
a besoin de + infinitive/noun
The verb ‘avoir besoin de’ means ‘to need’. When the complement is a noun, the preposition ‘de’ is kept; when it is an infinitive, it contracts to ‘de + infinitive’.
Contraction d' before a vowel
‘de’ becomes ‘d'’ before a vowel or mute ‘h’, as in ‘d'une’.
Indefinite articles (une / un)
‘une’ is used for feminine nouns (table) and ‘un’ for masculine nouns (fauteuil).
Adjective after noun
In French, most adjectives follow the noun; ‘roulant’ (rolling) follows ‘fauteuil’.
🗨In Conversation
On a besoin d'une table pour un fauteuil roulant.
We need a table for a wheelchair.
D'accord, je vais vérifier les modèles disponibles.
Alright, I’ll check the available models.
✕Common Mistakes
On a besoin d'un table pour un fauteuil roulant.
‘Table’ is feminine, so the correct article is ‘une’.
On a besoin d'une table pour le fauteuil roulant.
When you mean ‘a wheelchair’, use the indefinite article ‘un’. ‘Le’ would refer to a specific, previously mentioned wheelchair.
On a besoin de une table pour un fauteuil roulant.
The preposition ‘de’ contracts to ‘d'’ before a vowel; writing ‘d’une’ is correct, but ‘de une’ is a common error.
↔Alternatives
Nous avons besoin d'une table adaptée à un fauteuil roulant.
We need a table adapted for a wheelchair.
Il faut une table pour un fauteuil roulant.
A table for a wheelchair is needed.
Pouvez-vous nous fournir une table pour fauteuil roulant ?
Can you provide us with a table for a wheelchair?
Cultural Tip
In France, accessibility standards (norme NF P 99-611) require public spaces to provide furniture that accommodates wheelchairs. When speaking to French service providers, using the impersonal ‘on’ sounds natural and polite, while ‘nous’ can be used for a slightly more formal tone.