French Phrase
On déduit les dégâts qui dépassent l'usure normale.
Meaning
The sentence states that one (or we) infer the damages that go beyond what would be considered normal wear and tear. It is often used in insurance, warranty, or maintenance contexts to separate ordinary use from actual damage.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to explain that an assessment will focus only on damage that exceeds normal usage—e.g., in a claim report, a rental‑car return inspection, or a product warranty evaluation.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ondéduitlesdégâtsquidépassentl'usurenormale
On (impersonal pronoun)
‘On’ is used like ‘we’ or ‘one’ in English; it creates a neutral, generic subject, common in spoken and written French.
Déduire (present indicative)
‘Déduire’ means ‘to deduce’ or ‘to infer’; conjugated here as ‘déduit’ for the third‑person singular subject ‘on’.
Relative clause with qui
‘Qui’ introduces a relative clause that refers back to ‘les dégâts’; the verb in the clause must agree with the plural noun ‘dégâts’.
Verb agreement (dépassent)
Because ‘dégâts’ is plural, the verb ‘dépasser’ is conjugated in the third‑person plural: ‘dépassent’.
L’usure normale (noun phrase)
‘Usure’ means ‘wear’; the article ‘l’’ contracts with ‘usure’ and ‘normale’ is an adjective that follows the noun.
🗨In Conversation
On déduit les dégâts qui dépassent l'usure normale.
We infer the damages that exceed normal wear.
D'accord, alors les petites rayures ne seront pas prises en compte.
Alright, so the minor scratches won’t be taken into account.
✕Common Mistakes
Nous déduisons les dégâts qui dépassent l'usure normale.
‘Nous’ is grammatically correct but changes the tone; learners often replace ‘on’ with ‘nous’ without noticing the stylistic shift.
On déduire les dégâts...
Using the infinitive ‘déduire’ after ‘on’ is incorrect; the verb must be conjugated.
les dégâts qui dépassé l'usure normale.
The verb must agree with the plural noun ‘dégâts’; ‘dépassé’ (singular) is a common error.
l'usure normal.
Adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify; ‘normale’ must have an ‘e’ for the feminine noun ‘usure’.
↔Alternatives
Nous déduisons les dommages qui dépassent l'usure normale.
We deduce the damages that exceed normal wear.
On estime les dégâts supérieurs à l'usure habituelle.
We estimate the damages that are above ordinary wear.
Les dommages qui dépassent l'usure normale sont pris en compte.
Damages that exceed normal wear are taken into account.
Cultural Tip
In French, ‘on’ is preferred over ‘nous’ in many professional and informal contexts because it sounds less formal and more natural. However, in written reports or very formal documents, ‘nous’ may be chosen for clarity. Also, the phrase ‘usure normale’ is a standard term in insurance and warranty contracts, so using it signals familiarity with industry jargon.