French Phrase
On fait le tour maintenant ?
Meaning
This is a casual, collective suggestion meaning “Shall we do the tour now?” or “Are we starting the round now?”. The speaker uses the informal pronoun "on" and the set expression "faire le tour" to propose beginning an activity immediately.
When to use
Use it when a group is about to explore a place together – a city walk, a museum circuit, a bike ride, or any activity that involves going around. It works best in informal settings among friends, classmates, or tour participants.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onfaitletourmaintenant?
On (impersonal pronoun)
In spoken French, "on" is commonly used to mean "we" and takes third‑person singular verb forms.
Faire + le tour
"Faire le tour" means to go around something (a city, a museum, a circuit). It is a set phrase that uses the verb "faire".
Present tense conjugation
"fait" is the third‑person singular present of "faire" (je/tu/il/elle/on fait).
Maintenant (adverb of time)
"Maintenant" means "now" and is placed after the verb phrase in informal speech.
Rising intonation for a question
When a statement ends with a question mark in spoken French, the intonation rises; the word order stays the same.
🗨In Conversation
On fait le tour maintenant ?
Shall we start the tour now?
Oui, allons-y !
Yes, let’s go!
✕Common Mistakes
Vous faites le tour maintenant ?
Using "faites" changes the subject to "vous"; the original phrase is meant for "on" (we).
On fait tour maintenant ?
The article "le" is required; "faire tour" is not idiomatic.
Maintenant, on fait le tour ?
While grammatically correct, placing "maintenant" at the front sounds more formal; the casual version keeps it at the end.
↔Alternatives
On commence le tour maintenant ?
Do we start the tour now?
On y va maintenant ?
Are we going now?
On démarre le tour tout de suite ?
Shall we kick off the tour right away?
Nous commençons le tour maintenant ?
Do we begin the tour now?
Cultural Tip
In everyday French, "on" replaces "nous" in most spoken contexts, even when the speaker is referring to a specific group. Adding "maintenant" at the end gives a sense of immediacy. In a more formal setting (e.g., a guided tour for senior guests) you might say "Nous allons commencer le tour maintenant" to sound more polished.