French Phrase

On attend environ 100 personnes.

/ɔ̃ a.tɑ̃ ɑ̃.vi.ʁɔ̃ sɑ̃ kɑ̃ pɛʁ.sɔn/

Meaning"We are expecting about 100 people."

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Meaning

The sentence means “We are expecting about 100 people.” It uses the impersonal pronoun "on" to refer to a group (often the organizers) and the verb "attendre" in the sense of "to expect" rather than "to wait for".

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When to use

Use this phrase when you want to give an estimate of attendance for an event, meeting, party, or any gathering. It works in both informal conversation and semi‑formal announcements.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Onattendenviron100personnes.

On (impersonal pronoun)

In spoken French, "on" often replaces "nous" and means "we" in an informal, collective sense.

Attendre (verb)

Here, "attendre" means "to expect" rather than "to wait for"; it’s used with a direct object indicating the expected number of people.

Environ (approximation)

"Environ" means "approximately" and is placed before the number it modifies.

Number agreement

The noun "personnes" stays plural; the number "100" (cent) does not affect the noun’s form.

🗨In Conversation

Combien de personnes viennent à la réunion ?

How many people are coming to the meeting?

On attend environ 100 personnes.

We’re expecting about 100 people.

✕Common Mistakes

On attend 100 personnes.
Learners often translate "attendre" as "to wait for"; here it means "to expect".
On attend 100 environ personnes.
The adverb must come before the number, not after.
On attend environ 100 personne.
Using the singular "personne" changes the meaning to "no one"; keep the plural "personnes" for a group.

↔Alternatives

Nous prévoyons environ 100 personnes.
We are planning for about 100 people.
Il y aura environ 100 personnes.
There will be about 100 people.
On s'attend à environ 100 personnes.
We expect about 100 people.

Cultural Tip

In everyday French, "on" replaces "nous" in most spoken contexts, especially when giving collective information. "Environ" is the go‑to word for approximations; avoid using "à peu près" in the same position because it sounds less natural here. When writing formally, spell out the number ("cent") instead of using the digit 100.