How to Say ‘I had been told’ in French
On m'avait dit
ohn m ah-vay dee
[ohn m ah-vay dee]
💬 Usage Tip: French often uses [on] where English would use a vague "they" or a passive like "I was told." You can reuse it in everyday situations: [On m'a dit de payer ici].
Phrase Breakdown
On
[ohn]
someone / people
Indefinite subject pronoun; here it means someone told me.
On m'avait dit que le trajet coûterait moins cher.
I had been told that the trip would cost less.
m'
[m]
me
Object pronoun 'me', shortened before a vowel.
On m'avait dit un autre prix avant le départ.
I had been told another price before departure.
avait
[ah-vay]
had
Auxiliary verb in the imperfect, used here to form the past perfect.
On m'avait dit de vérifier le compteur.
I had been told to check the meter.
dit
[dee]
said / told
Past participle of 'dire'; means said or told.
On m'avait dit exactement vingt euros.
I had been told exactly twenty euros.
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