Breakdown of Parfois, je me repose un peu avant que la séance de français en ligne commence.
Questions & Answers about Parfois, je me repose un peu avant que la séance de français en ligne commence.
In French, se reposer means to rest (oneself), to relax. It is reflexive because the action comes back to the subject.
- Je me repose. = I rest / I take a rest.
- Reposer without se usually means to put something down, to put something back, or to rest something on something:
- Je repose le livre sur la table. = I put the book back on the table.
So to talk about you resting, you must use the reflexive form: se reposer → je me repose, tu te reposes, etc.
Both can translate as to relax, but there is a nuance:
- Se reposer: focusing on resting, often physically, or taking a break.
- Je me repose avant le cours. = I rest / take a break before class.
- Se détendre: focusing on loosening up, unwinding, more about mental relaxation or enjoyment.
- Je me détends en regardant une série. = I relax by watching a show.
In this sentence, because it’s about a short break before an online French session, se reposer un peu (to rest a bit) is very natural.
Yes, you can change the position:
- Parfois, je me repose un peu...
- Je me repose parfois un peu...
Both are correct and common. The difference is stylistic:
- Putting parfois at the beginning gives it slightly more emphasis: Sometimes, I rest a bit...
- Putting parfois after the verb is more neutral: I sometimes rest a bit...
The comma after Parfois is standard when an adverb starts the sentence, but in everyday writing you may see it omitted. With parfois in the middle, no comma is needed.
Un peu means a little / a bit and softens the idea of resting.
In this sentence, typical placements are:
- Je me repose un peu avant que...
- Je me repose avant que... un peu ❌ (sounds wrong)
- Parfois, je me repose un peu avant que...
Normally, with verbs you put un peu:
- after the verb: je me repose un peu
- or after the object: je bois de l’eau un peu (less natural; usually you’d say je bois un peu d’eau)
So here je me repose un peu is the natural choice.
It depends on what follows:
- avant de is followed by an infinitive (verb in the basic form):
- Je me repose avant de commencer la séance.
(I rest before starting the session.)
- Je me repose avant de commencer la séance.
- avant que is followed by a full clause with a subject and conjugated verb:
- Je me repose avant que la séance commence.
(I rest before the session starts.)
- Je me repose avant que la séance commence.
In your sentence, what follows is a clause with a subject la séance and a verb commence, so avant que is required.
Yes, commence here is in the present subjunctive.
With avant que, French grammar requires the subjunctive (when followed by a clause with a conjugated verb):
- avant que + subjunctive
For commencer, the present subjunctive of il/elle/on is:
- qu’il/elle/on commence
This form looks exactly the same as the present indicative il/elle/on commence, but functionally in this structure it is the subjunctive.
You would not say:
- ✗ avant que la séance commencera
That sounds incorrect in standard French; you must use the subjunctive after avant que.
Here is the full present subjunctive of commencer:
- que je commence
- que tu commences
- qu’il / qu’elle / qu’on commence
- que nous commencions
- que vous commenciez
- qu’ils / qu’elles commencent
Note that the ç (as in nous commençons in the present indicative) disappears in the subjunctive for nous and vous:
que nous commencions, que vous commenciez (regular c).
You can add a ne, but it’s optional and sounds more formal or literary:
- avant que la séance de français en ligne ne commence
This ne is called “ne explétif” (pleonastic ne). It does not make the verb negative; it’s purely stylistic.
In modern spoken French, most people simply say:
- avant que la séance de français en ligne commence
without the extra ne, which is what you have in the sentence.
All three exist, but they’re used a bit differently:
- un cours de français
The most common term for a French class / French course (especially in school or university). - une leçon de français
A lesson, often a unit within a course (or in textbooks, private tutoring, language apps). - une séance de français
More like a session / sitting of French, often used for:- online sessions,
- therapy or coaching sessions,
- study sessions, etc.
So la séance de français en ligne suggests an online French session, which fits the context well. You could also say:
- avant que le cours de français en ligne commence
That would be very natural too, especially in a school context.
In la séance de français en ligne, en ligne describes how/where the French session occurs: it is an online French session.
You could rephrase a bit, but some orders are more natural:
- la séance de français en ligne ✅ (most natural)
- la séance en ligne de français ✅ (possible, but a bit heavier)
- la séance de en ligne français ❌ (wrong)
- la séance en ligne de cours de français (grammatical but clumsy)
The usual, smooth expression is exactly what you have: la séance de français en ligne.
Yes, you can:
- Parfois, je me repose un peu...
- Quelquefois, je me repose un peu...
Both mean sometimes and are correct.
Nuance:
- In modern everyday French, parfois is more common and sounds a bit lighter.
- quelquefois is perfectly correct but can sound a bit more formal, old-fashioned, or written.
In speech, you will hear parfois more often.