Learn French: Parfois, il est nécessaire de consulter un psychologue. - Sometimes, it is necessary to consult a psychologist.

This sentence uses an impersonal expression. When you have the pattern 'it is' plus an adjective and then an infinitive verb, the standard French rule is to use il est + adjective + de. You will often hear French speakers use c'est in casual daily speech, but il est is the proper written form taught in this lesson.

Why do we need the word de before consulter?

The preposition de acts as the glue connecting the impersonal adjective (nécessaire) to the infinitive verb (consulter). Whenever you use the Il est + adjective structure to evaluate an action, you must follow it with de before stating the action itself.

Is the 'p' in psychologue silent like it is in English?

No, it is pronounced! Unlike in English, the 'p' at the start of French words related to psychology (like psychologue or psychiatre) is always spoken out loud right before the 's' sound.

Can I put parfois somewhere else in the sentence?

Yes, parfois is a very flexible adverb. Putting it at the beginning of the sentence adds a slight emphasis to 'sometimes', but you could also place it safely after the conjugated verb, like this: Il est parfois nécessaire de consulter un psychologue.