How to Say ‘I was told’ in French
On m'a dit
ohn m ah DEE
[ohn m ah DEE]
💬 Usage Tip: On "one/someone" plus m'a dit is how French says "I was told" without naming who told you. Swap the verb for On m'a demandé "I was asked".
Phrase Breakdown
On
[ohn]
someone / they
Impersonal subject pronoun meaning 'someone' or 'people' in general.
On frappe à la porte.
Someone is knocking at the door.
m'
[m]
me
First person singular object pronoun.
Ça me surprend.
That surprises me.
a
[ah]
has
Used with a past participle to form the present perfect tense.
Elle a visité Paris.
She has visited Paris.
dit
[DEE]
told / said
Past participle of 'dire' (to say, to tell).
Il m'a dit bonjour.
He said hello to me.
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