French Phrase
On a des jeux de société.
Meaning
Literally, ‘One has some board games.’ In everyday French *on* is used like ‘we’, so the sentence means ‘We have board games.’ It can also be heard as a neutral statement about the presence of board games.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to tell someone that you (or a group) own board games, or when you’re describing what’s available for a game night. It’s informal and typical in spoken French.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onadesjeuxdesociété
On (impersonal pronoun)
In spoken French, *on* replaces *nous* and is conjugated like a third‑person singular verb.
a (present of avoir)
The verb *avoir* in the present tense, third‑person singular: *il/elle/on a* = ‘has / have’.
des (indefinite article, plural)
Used before a plural noun to mean ‘some’ or ‘a few’. It contracts *de + les*.
jeux (plural noun)
The plural of *jeu* (game). Note the silent *x* in pronunciation.
de (preposition of type)
Introduces the kind or category of the games: *de société* = ‘of society’, i.e., ‘board games’.
société (noun)
Means ‘society’; in the expression *jeux de société* it refers to board games.
🗨In Conversation
On a des jeux de société, on peut jouer ce soir ?
We have board games, can we play tonight?
Oui, super ! J’apporte les snacks.
Yes, great! I’ll bring the snacks.
✕Common Mistakes
On ont des jeux de société.
The verb must agree with *on*, which takes the third‑person singular form *a*, not the plural *ont*.
On a de jeux de société.
Before a plural noun you need the indefinite article *des*, not the preposition *de*.
On a un jeu de société.
Using the singular article changes the meaning to ‘one board game’ instead of ‘some board games’. Use *des* for plural.
↔Alternatives
Nous avons des jeux de société.
We have board games.
Il y a des jeux de société.
There are board games.
On possède des jeux de société.
We own board games.
Cultural Tip
Board‑game evenings (*soirées jeux*) are a popular way for French friends and families to spend time together, especially in cafés called *café ludique*. In casual conversation, native speakers almost always use *on* instead of *nous* to talk about group activities, so saying *On a des jeux de société* sounds natural and friendly.