Learn Hardcore French: Pendant la séance, je coupe mon micro quand je ne parle pas. - During the session, I mute my mic when I am not speaking.

In this sentence, séance means something like session / meeting / class / workshop, depending on context (online meeting, therapy session, cinema showing, etc.).

une séance = a session/meeting/showing (very context‑dependent)
la séance = the session (a specific one both speaker and listener know about)

You almost always need an article before séance:

Pendant la séance = during the session
Pendant une séance = during a session (non‑specific)

So Pendant séance (without la) is incorrect in standard French.

Why is it pendant la séance and not durant la séance or lors de la séance?

All three are possible, but they’re not used in exactly the same way:

Pendant la séance
- Most neutral and common.
- Focuses on the time span: while the session is happening.
Durant la séance
- Very close in meaning to pendant.
- Slightly more formal or literary, but often interchangeable:
  - Pendant la séance, je coupe mon micro.
  - Durant la séance, je coupe mon micro. (also correct)
Lors de la séance
- Means during / at the time of, but sounds more formal and event‑like.
- Often used in written, formal, or administrative language:
  - Lors de la séance, plusieurs points ont été abordés.

In everyday spoken French, pendant is the safest and most natural choice here.

Why is it je coupe mon micro and not something like j’éteins mon micro or je ferme mon micro?

In this context, couper son micro is the idiomatic way to say “mute one’s microphone”.

couper literally = to cut
- couper le son = to cut the sound (mute)
- couper la caméra = to turn off the camera

Using j’éteins mon micro is understandable (éteindre = to turn off), but native speakers strongly prefer couper for muting in calls:

Je coupe mon micro ≈ I mute my mic.
Je coupe le son ≈ I mute the sound.

Je ferme mon micro is not idiomatic; fermer is used for doors, windows, files, etc., not for microphones.

Why is it mon micro and not le micro or mon microphone?

micro is just the shortened, everyday form of microphone:
- un micro = a mic
- un microphone = a microphone (more formal/technical)

Using mon shows it’s my microphone:

je coupe mon micro = I mute my mic.

Je coupe le micro would sound like “I cut THE mic” (maybe the main one in a room, or someone else’s mic), not clearly your own.

So for an online meeting, the natural expression is:

Je coupe mon micro = I mute my microphone.

Why is the verb in the present tense (je coupe) if it describes a general habit or rule?

French uses the present tense for:

things happening right now
- Je coupe mon micro = I’m (currently) turning off my mic.
habits and general rules
- Je coupe mon micro quand je ne parle pas.
  = I mute my mic whenever I’m not speaking.

So the present covers the same ground as English present simple (“I do this”) and sometimes present progressive (“I’m doing this”).

You wouldn’t use the future here:

Je couperai mon micro quand je ne parlerai pas sounds like a specific future situation, not a general rule.

How does the negation work in je ne parle pas?

French standard negation has two parts:

ne before the verb
pas after the verb (for “not”)

So:

je parle = I speak / I’m speaking
je ne parle pas = I do not speak / I am not speaking

Pattern:

je ne [verb] pas
- je ne mange pas = I’m not eating
- je ne comprends pas = I don’t understand

In your sentence:

quand je ne parle pas = when I’m not speaking / when I don’t speak

Can the ne in je ne parle pas be left out in spoken French?

Yes, very often in informal spoken French, people drop ne:

Written/standard: je ne parle pas
Spoken/colloquial: je parle pas

So you might hear:

Pendant la séance, je coupe mon micro quand je parle pas.

This is very common in everyday speech, but in:

writing,
formal speech,
or when you’re taking an exam,

you should keep the ne:

je ne parle pas

Why is it quand je ne parle pas and not si je ne parle pas or lorsque je ne parle pas?

All three words exist, but they’re not interchangeable:

quand = when (time)
- quand je ne parle pas = when(ever) I’m not speaking
lorsque ≈ when (time), slightly more formal or written
- lorsque je ne parle pas is grammatically correct, just a bit more formal.
si = if (condition)
- si je ne parle pas = if I’m not speaking
  → suggests a condition that may or may not happen, not a regular rule.

In your sentence, we’re describing a habitual situation/time frame, so quand is the natural choice:

Je coupe mon micro quand je ne parle pas.

Could we say Quand je ne parle pas, je coupe mon micro instead? Does the word order change the meaning?

Yes, you can absolutely say:

Quand je ne parle pas, je coupe mon micro.

Both orders are correct and mean the same:

Pendant la séance, je coupe mon micro quand je ne parle pas.
Pendant la séance, quand je ne parle pas, je coupe mon micro.
Quand je ne parle pas, je coupe mon micro pendant la séance.

The differences are just about emphasis and style, not meaning. French is flexible with the position of quand‑clauses, as long as the sentence remains clear.

Are there any important pronunciation points in Pendant la séance, je coupe mon micro quand je ne parle pas?

A few useful tips:

pendant → /pɑ̃.dɑ̃/
- Final t is silent.
la séance → /la se.ɑ̃s/
- No liaison between pendant and la (you don’t pronounce a t).
je coupe → /ʒə kup/ or /ʒ kup/ (very reduced je in fast speech)
- Final e in coupe is silent.
mon micro → /mɔ̃ mikʁo/
- Say mi‑kro, not like English “micro”.
quand → /kɑ̃/
- Final d is silent.
parle → /paʁl/
- You pronounce the l; final e is silent.

Altogether in natural speech, many vowels get reduced, but if you hit the consonants correctly (especially in coupe, parle, quand), you’ll sound clear and understandable.