This is the 9080th most frequent French word.
commençant
"Commençant" means "beginning" or "starting."
In this sentence, 'commençant' is used as a present participle describing the day as it begins.
Le jour commençant, nous pouvions sentir la fraîcheur de l'air.
As the day started, we could feel the freshness of the air.
Here, 'commençant' acts as a present participle indicating the initiating action of the class toward the subject.
La classe, commençant à s'intéresser au sujet, posait des questions.
The class, starting to gain interest in the topic, was asking questions.
In this case, 'commençant' functions as a present participle emphasizing the ongoing action of beginning by the classmate.