French Phrase
On dit qu'il va pleuvoir plus tard.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘They say it will rain later.’ It conveys a piece of information heard from others, not the speaker’s own observation.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to repeat a weather forecast or a rumor you heard from someone else, especially in informal conversation.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onditqueilvapleuvoirplustard
On (impersonal pronoun)
‘On’ is an indefinite pronoun meaning ‘people’, ‘they’, or ‘one’, often used in spoken French to convey general statements.
dit (present of dire)
‘Dit’ is the third‑person singular present of ‘dire’, used here to introduce reported speech.
que (subordinating conjunction)
‘Que’ links the main clause with the subordinate clause that contains the information being reported.
Future proche – il va + infinitive
The construction ‘il va pleuvoir’ expresses a near‑future event, literally ‘it is going to rain.’
plus tard (adverbial phrase)
‘Plus tard’ means ‘later’ and modifies the verb phrase to indicate when the rain is expected.
🗨In Conversation
Tu penses qu'il va pleuvoir aujourd'hui ?
Do you think it will rain today?
On dit qu'il va pleuvoir plus tard.
They say it will rain later.
✕Common Mistakes
Il dit qu'il va pleuvoir plus tard.
This attributes the statement to a specific person; use ‘on dit’ for general hearsay.
On dit il va pleuvoir plus tard.
In reported speech you need the ‘que’ clause; dropping it changes the meaning.
On dit qu'il va pleuvra plus tard.
Mixing future proche with simple future is incorrect; choose one construction.
↔Alternatives
On raconte qu'il va pleuvoir plus tard.
They’re saying it will rain later.
Il paraît qu'il va pleuvoir plus tard.
It seems it will rain later.
On murmure qu'il va pleuvoir plus tard.
There are whispers that it will rain later.
Cultural Tip
In French, ‘on dit que…’ is the go‑to structure for reporting what others have said. It’s more neutral than naming a specific source. Avoid using ‘il dit que…’ unless you are referring to a particular person. Also, remember the liaison between ‘que’ and ‘il’ (k‿il) for natural pronunciation.