Breakdown of Dans le cours de philosophie, on parle toujours de soi.
on
one / we (informal)
dans
in, inside
toujours
always
de
of / from / any (in negative sentences) / about (concerning)
parler
to speak
le
him, it (masculine direct object pronoun)
le cours
the class / the lecture
la philosophie
the philosophy
soi
oneself
Questions & Answers about Dans le cours de philosophie, on parle toujours de soi.
Why do we use soi here instead of lui or elle?
Since on usually means "we" in spoken French, could this sentence mean "we always talk about ourselves"?
No, because of the word soi. When on is used to mean "we," the corresponding stressed pronoun is nous (on parle toujours de nous). The use of soi proves that on is being used in its general sense here, meaning "one" or "people."
Why is toujours placed after parle instead of before it like in English?
Why does the sentence use Dans le cours instead of just En cours?
En cours is a general set phrase meaning "in class." However, because we are specifying exactly which class it is (philosophy), we need the definite article (le). Dans le cours de philosophie specifies that we are talking about being inside that exact course.
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