French Phrase
On m'a dit que c'est vraiment bien.
Meaning
This phrase is used to convey information that you've received from someone else, without necessarily specifying who that person was. It literally translates to 'One told me that it's really good,' but in English, it's best understood as 'I was told that it's really good' or 'People told me that it's really good.' It implies a general consensus or a piece of information passed on.
When to use
You would use this phrase when you want to share a positive opinion or piece of information about something (a movie, a restaurant, a book, an experience) that you haven't personally verified, but have heard from others. It's a common way to make a recommendation or introduce a topic based on hearsay. For example, 'On m'a dit que ce restaurant est excellent' (I was told that this restaurant is excellent).
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onm'a ditquec'estvraiment bien.
On
'On' is an impersonal pronoun meaning 'one', 'we', 'they', or 'people in general'. It always takes a third-person singular verb conjugation, even when referring to multiple people.
m'a dit
This is the passé composé of 'dire' (to say/tell) with the indirect object pronoun 'me' (m'). It literally means 'one told me', forming the common expression 'I was told'.
que
'Que' is a conjunction meaning 'that'. It introduces a subordinate clause, connecting the main idea ('On m'a dit') to the reported information ('c'est vraiment bien').
c'est
This is a contraction of 'ce est' (it is). 'C'est' is used to refer to a general situation, an idea, or an unspecified 'it', and is very common in French for making general statements.
vraiment bien
'Vraiment' means 'really' or 'truly', acting as an intensifier for the adjective 'bien' (good). Together, they mean 'really good' or 'very good'.
🗨In Conversation
Tu as vu le nouveau film de Dupont?
Have you seen Dupont's new movie?
Pas encore, mais on m'a dit que c'est vraiment bien!
Not yet, but I was told that it's really good!
✕Common Mistakes
Je suis dit que c'est vraiment bien.
This is a direct, incorrect translation of 'I was told'. French uses the impersonal 'on' or a reflexive construction for this meaning, not 'être' + past participle in this context.
Quelqu'un m'a dit que il est vraiment bien.
After 'que', 'il est' should contract to 'c'est' when referring to a general situation or an unspecified 'it'.
↔Alternatives
J'ai entendu dire que c'est bien.
I heard that it's good.
Il paraît que c'est excellent.
It seems that it's excellent.
Quelqu'un m'a dit que c'est super.
Someone told me that it's super.
Cultural Tip
The pronoun 'on' is incredibly versatile and frequently used in French. While it literally means 'one', it often functions as an impersonal 'we', 'they', or even 'you' (informal) or 'I' (colloquial). In this phrase, 'on m'a dit' is the standard way to express 'I was told' or 'people told me', avoiding the more formal or less common passive voice construction. It reflects a tendency in French to use active, impersonal constructions rather than direct passive voice when the agent is unknown or unimportant.