French Phrase
Décris tout ce qui s'est passé avant que ça commence.
Meaning
The sentence asks someone to give a detailed account of every event that occurred prior to the moment something began. It is a request for a chronological recap of the lead‑up.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need a comprehensive narration of the events that led up to a specific start – for example, after a meeting, a performance, or a sudden incident.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Décristoutcequis'estpasséavantqueçacommence
Décris (imperative)
‘Décris’ is the second‑person singular imperative of the verb *décrire*; use it when speaking informally to one person.
tout ce qui (relative clause)
‘tout ce qui’ introduces a relative clause meaning ‘everything that’. The relative pronoun *qui* refers to the antecedent *tout*.
s'est passé (passé composé)
The reflexive verb *se passer* is conjugated in the passé composé: *s'est passé* = ‘happened’.
avant que + subjunctive
The conjunction *avant que* always triggers the subjunctive mood; *commence* is the present subjunctive of *commencer* (identical in form to the indicative).
ça (informal demonstrative)
‘ça’ is the colloquial form of *cela*; in formal contexts replace it with *cela*.
🗨In Conversation
Décris tout ce qui s'est passé avant que ça commence.
Describe everything that happened before it started.
D'abord, il a plu toute la nuit, puis les routes se sont inondées, et enfin les secours sont arrivés juste avant le début de l'opération.
First, it rained all night, then the roads flooded, and finally the rescue teams arrived just before the operation began.
✕Common Mistakes
Décris tout ce qui s'est passé avant que ça commence.
‘Avant que’ always requires the subjunctive; the form *commence* is correct because the subjunctive of *commencer* looks like the indicative present, but learners often mistakenly use *commence* with a different verb that changes in the subjunctive (e.g., *avant que ça commence* → *avant qu’il commence*).
Décris tout ce qui s'est passé avant que ça commence.
Using the informal imperative *décris* with someone you don’t know well can sound rude; switch to *décrivez* in formal contexts.
Décris tout ce qui s'est passé avant que ça commence.
‘Ça’ is colloquial; in written or formal speech replace it with *cela*.
↔Alternatives
Raconte tout ce qui s'est passé avant le début.
Tell everything that happened before the beginning.
Explique les événements précédant le commencement.
Explain the events preceding the commencement.
Décrivez tout ce qui s'est passé avant que cela commence.
Describe everything that happened before that started.
Cultural Tip
‘Décris’ is informal; in a professional or polite setting you would use the formal imperative ‘Décrivez’. Likewise, replace the colloquial ‘ça’ with ‘cela’ for a more formal tone. French speakers often prefer the more vivid ‘raconte’ when asking for a narrative, but ‘décris’ emphasizes precise detail.