on lui

someone … to him/her

→ on

phrase Common #3,145

someone … to him/her “On” can mean “someone,” “people,” or “they,” depending on context; “lui” means “to him” or “to her.” The verb that completes the phrase comes after it.

FR: On lui parle souvent.

EN: People often talk to him.

Le client, ou l'employé, qui se prend pour Bronson, on lui tape dans le nez.

Any customer or employee who thinks he’s Bronson gets punched in the nose.

— Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Elle a fait comme on lui avait dit.

She did as she was told.

On lui proposa le poste de directeur.

He was offered the position of director.

Nous aussi, on lui manquerait.

We would miss him too.

— Tigre & Dragon (2000)

On lui demande souvent d'où il vient.

He is often asked where he comes from.

On lui répond non, c'est Ali.

We tell him no, it’s Ali.

— Le Petit Soldat (1963)

On lui ferait une piqûre pour qu'il s'endorme.

They would give him an injection to make him fall asleep.

— Dans ses yeux (2009)

On lui pique son vaisseau.

His spaceship is stolen.

— Avengers : Infinity War (2018)

On lui montre plutôt comment faire du contenu.

Instead, they are shown how to create content.

— Scream 7 (2026)

Mais pensez-vous, on lui parle, il est ailleurs.

But you know, we talk to him, he's somewhere else.

— Les Quatre Cents Coups (1959)

On lui coupe la jambe, mais trop tard.

They amputate his leg, but it's too late.

— The Magnificent One (1973)

On lui donne presque toujours un rôle de dirigeant.

He is almost always given a leadership role.

On lui ouvrit, et il claqua la porte derrière lui.

They let him in, and he slammed the door behind him.

On lui a coulé sa boîte.

His box was sunk.

On lui conseille d'entreprendre un régime strict.

They advise him to go on a strict diet.

On lui pardonnerait.

One would forgive him.

— Psychose (1960)

On lui a arraché les yeux.

His eyes were gouged out.

— The Man From Nowhere (2010)

On lui propose une série.

He is offered a series.

— Perfect Blue (1998)

Si on l'aide pas avec le mulet, on lui rend service.

If we don’t help him with the mule, we’re doing him a favor.

— Jean de Florette (1986)

Votre gendre, on lui donne un poste important ?

Are you giving your son-in-law an important position?

On lui rendit ses souliers.

His shoes were returned to him.

On lui fait un sandwich.

We'll make him a sandwich.

— Your Name. (2016)

Un mec bien comme toi, on lui colle un emmerdeur.

A good guy like you gets saddled with a troublemaker.

— Reservoir Dogs (1992)

On lui a dit qu'il était trop petit.

They told him he was too short.

On lui demanda de le convaincre de faire peindre la maison par son fils.

He was asked to convince him to have his son paint the house.

Demain, on ira voir sa mère et on lui demandera pourquoi.

Tomorrow, we'll go see his mother and ask her why.

— Funny Games (1997)

On lui trouve du pognon, une caisse et Monsieur n'est pas content.

We get him some cash, a car, and the gentleman isn’t happy.

— Taxi (1998)

Sur le chemin de Mexico, on lui ordonna de revenir.

On the way to Mexico City, he was ordered to turn back.

— Aguirre, la colère de Dieu (1972)

On lui envoie un selfie ?

Should we send him a selfie?

— Les Bonnes étoiles (2022)

Quand le petit Oscar aura trois ans, on lui donnera un tambour en tôle.

When little Oscar turns three, he will be given a tin drum.

— Le Tambour (1979)

On lui met la carte dans la boîte.

We put the card in the box for them.

— The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005)

On est trop nombreux, on lui fait peur.

There are too many of us, we scare him.

— La Légende du pianiste sur l'océan (1998)

On lui fait faire tous nos vêtements.

We have all our clothes made by him.

— Lust, Caution (2007)

Il aurait dû venir pour le premier défi, on lui aurait réglé son compte.

He should have come for the first challenge, we would have settled the score with him.

— Black Panther (2018)

On lui aurait filé la môme.

They must have handed him the kid.

— Get Out Your Handkerchiefs (1978)

On lui donne avec générosité.

It is given to him generously.

— Le Pianiste (2002)

On lui apporta le vêtement de son fils tout sanglant.

They brought him his son's garment, covered in blood.

On lui arrachera les yeux et on le fera ramper.

We will gouge out his eyes and make him crawl.

— Le Seigneur des anneaux : Les Deux Tours (2002)

Et on lui souhaite bonne nuit.

And we wish him good night.

— Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

On lui prend sa chaussure !

They’re taking his shoe!

— Yi Yi (2000)

On lui fera que des gros plans maintenant.

We'll only be showing close-ups of him from now on.

— La Nuit américaine (1973)

On lui fera avaler.

We'll make him swallow it.

— Nobody Knows (2004)

On lui parle et ça répète tout ce qu'on dit ?

You talk to it, and it repeats everything you say?

— Le Facteur (1994)

On lui ouvrira la bouche et on prendra les sequins.

We’ll open their mouth and take the sequins.

— Pinocchio (2019)

Nous aussi, on lui donne à manger ?

Do we feed him too?

— The Host (2006)

On lui dit que c'est le chemin du retour au village.

They tell him it’s the way back to the village.

— The Road Home (1999)

Mais si on lui prend ce violon ?

But what if we take this violin away from him?

— Il est de retour (2015)

Il nous a regardé comme si on lui demandait ses deux reins.

He looked at us as if we were asking for his two kidneys.

— 3 Idiots (2009)

On lui garde le sous-sol.

We're keeping the basement for him.

— Presque Célèbre (2000)

On lui doit bien ça.

We owe him that.

On lui a arraché les yeux alors qu'elle était vivante !

They tore her eyes out while she was still alive!

— The Man From Nowhere (2010)

On lui dira.

We'll tell him.

— Santa Claus Is a Stinker (1982)

Il paraît qu'on lui a téléphoné hier soir.

Apparently, someone called him/her last night.

— Dans ses yeux (2009)

On lui met des bâtons dans les roues à Malèna.

They're putting obstacles in Malèna's way.

— Malèna (2000)

Et on lui envoie Abou Tarek.

And we send Abu Tarek to him.

— Incendies (2010)

On lui enlève le plâtre et on se tire.

We remove the cast and leave.

— Le Bras de diamant (1969)

C'est exactement ce qu'on lui avait dit.

That's exactly what he was told.

Quand on aime une femme, on lui fait confiance.

When you love a woman, you trust her.

— L'ironie du sort, ou profitez de votre bain ! (1976)