French Phrase
On prend des parapluies, au cas où.
Meaning
Literally, "We take umbrellas, just in case." The sentence expresses a precautionary action: you decide to bring umbrellas because rain might occur.
When to use
Use this phrase when you’re heading out and the weather forecast is uncertain, or when you want to suggest a safety measure to a group before leaving the house.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onprenddesparapluies,aucasoù
On (impersonal pronoun)
"On" is an informal way to say "we" or "one" in everyday French, and it takes third‑person singular verb forms.
prend (present of prendre)
"Prend" is the third‑person singular present tense of "prendre" (to take).
des (indefinite article)
"Des" is the plural indefinite article, equivalent to "some" or the English plural "-s".
parapluies (plural noun)
"Parapluies" is the plural of "parapluie" (umbrella).
au cas où (idiomatic conjunction)
"Au cas où" means "in case" and introduces a possible future situation; it is often followed by the conditional or a simple present.
🗨In Conversation
Il va pleuvoir cet après‑midi ?
Is it going to rain this afternoon?
Oui, on prend des parapluies, au cas où.
Yes, we’ll take umbrellas, just in case.
✕Common Mistakes
On prend des parapluies, si.
"Si" means "if" and does not convey the same precautionary nuance as "au cas où".
Nous prenons des parapluies, au cas où.
Using "nous" is grammatically correct but sounds formal; "on" is preferred in casual conversation.
On prend des parapluie, au cas où.
The noun must agree in number with the article "des"; use the plural "parapluies".
↔Alternatives
Prenons des parapluies, au cas où.
Let's take umbrellas, just in case.
On prend des parapluies, au cas où il pleuvrait.
We take umbrellas, in case it rains.
Mieux vaut prendre des parapluies, au cas où.
It’s better to take umbrellas, just in case.
Cultural Tip
In France many people keep a compact, fold‑away umbrella in a bag or car. Saying "au cas où" is a very common, informal way to talk about precaution, especially regarding weather. The phrase is neutral in register and works in both spoken and written French.