Dans le cours de philosophie, on parle toujours de soi.

Questions & Answers about Dans le cours de philosophie, on parle toujours de soi.

Why do we use soi here instead of lui or elle?
Soi translates to "oneself." It is a stressed pronoun used only when referring back to an unspecified person or a general subject like on (one), chacun (everyone), or personne (no one). If the subject were a specific person, like il (he), you would use lui instead.
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?
In French, you generally cannot separate the subject (on) and the verb (parle). Short, common adverbs like toujours (always) must be placed immediately after the conjugated verb. So, "one always talks" becomes on parle toujours.
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.

Learn Dans le cours de philosophie, on parle toujours de soi and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • Practice with interactive exercises
  • Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • Learn at your own pace — completely free