French Phrase
Des fois je fais une petite sieste.
Meaning
Literally “Sometimes I take a short nap.” The speaker is saying that on occasion they indulge in a brief rest, usually after lunch or during a break, to recharge.
When to use
Use this sentence in casual conversation when you’re describing your daily routine, talking about how you cope with fatigue, or sharing a personal habit with friends.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Desfoisjefaisunepetitesieste.
Des fois
An informal way to say “sometimes”; literally “some times”. It can be replaced by “parfois” in more formal contexts.
Faire (present)
The verb “faire” conjugated for “je” is “fais”. It means “to do” or “to make”, and in this phrase it means “to take” a nap.
Article + adjective + noun
In French, the indefinite article (une) agrees with the noun (sieste, feminine) and the adjective (petite) also agrees in gender and number.
Placement of adjectives
Most descriptive adjectives, like “petite”, follow the noun they modify, but “petite” is one of the few that can appear before or after without changing meaning.
🗨In Conversation
Des fois je fais une petite sieste.
Sometimes I take a short nap.
Ah, c’est bien pour recharger les batteries !
Ah, that’s great for recharging your batteries!
✕Common Mistakes
Des fois je fait une petite sieste.
The verb must agree with the subject “je”; the correct form is “fais”.
Des fois je fais un petite sieste.
The article and adjective must match the feminine noun “sieste”.
Des fois je fais une petite sieste.
In formal writing, “Parfois” is preferred; “Des fois” is colloquial.
↔Alternatives
Parfois je prends une courte sieste.
Sometimes I take a short nap.
Il m'arrive de faire une petite sieste.
I sometimes end up taking a short nap.
De temps en temps, je dors un peu.
From time to time, I sleep a little.
Cultural Tip
The tradition of the “sieste” is strongest in the south of France and other Mediterranean regions, where shops often close for an hour after lunch. In northern France the habit is less common, but saying you take a “petite sieste” is still understood as a casual way to say you rest briefly.