French Phrase
On construit un robot en cours.
Meaning
The sentence states that a robot is being built while the class is in session. It can refer to a group project or a teacher‑led activity in a classroom setting.
When to use
Use this phrase when describing a current classroom activity, reporting on a hands‑on project, or answering a question about what is happening in a lesson.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onconstruitunrobotencours.
On (impersonal pronoun)
In everyday French, 'on' is used like 'we' or 'people' and takes third‑person singular verb forms.
Présent de l'indicatif – construire
The verb 'construire' is conjugated as 'construit' for the third‑person singular (il/elle/on).
En cours (prepositional phrase)
'En cours' means 'during a lesson' or 'in class'; it is the idiomatic way to express that something happens while a class is in session.
Article indéfini – un
'Un' introduces a non‑specific masculine noun, here 'robot'.
🗨In Conversation
Qu'est‑ce qu'on fait aujourd'hui en classe ?
What are we doing today in class?
On construit un robot en cours.
We are building a robot in class.
✕Common Mistakes
On construit un robot dans le cours.
Use 'en cours' to mean 'during a lesson'; 'dans le cours' sounds unnatural.
On construit un robot à cours.
The preposition 'à' does not convey the idea of 'during' in this context.
On construire un robot en cours.
The infinitive 'construire' cannot follow 'on' without a conjugated verb.
↔Alternatives
Nous construisons un robot pendant le cours.
We are building a robot during the lesson.
On fabrique un robot en classe.
We are making a robot in class.
On travaille sur un robot pendant le cours.
We are working on a robot during the lesson.
Cultural Tip
In French schools, 'en cours' is the standard way to say 'during a lesson'. The pronoun 'on' is far more common than 'nous' in spoken French, especially when referring to a group that includes the speaker. Keep the tone informal but appropriate for a classroom context; avoid overly formal constructions like 'nous procéderons à la construction d'un robot'.