The Imperfect Tense in French
L’imparfait
The imperfect tense is used to describe past habits, ongoing actions, and background situations without focusing on their beginning or end.
- Ongoing actions in the past
- Repeated or habitual actions
- Descriptions of people, places, weather, and emotions
- Background information in a story
When to Use the Imperfect
| Use | French Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Habitual action | Je lisais tous les soirs. | I used to read every evening. |
| Ongoing action | Je regardais la télé. | I was watching TV. |
| Description | Il faisait froid. | It was cold. |
| Mental state | Elle pensait à toi. | She was thinking about you. |
| Background action | Il pleuvait quand je suis arrivé. | It was raining when I arrived. |
| Subject | Ending |
|---|---|
| je | -ais |
| tu | -ais |
| il / elle / on | -ait |
| nous | -ions |
| vous | -iez |
| ils / elles | -aient |
Common Time Expressions
- souvent
- toujours
- tous les jours
- chaque été
- pendant que
- à cette époque
Imperfect vs Passé Composé
The imperfect and passé composé are often used together.
| Imperfect | Passé Composé |
|---|---|
| Background / description | Main event |
| Ongoing or repeated | Completed action |
| Je lisais | J’ai lu |
| Il pleuvait | Il a commencé à pleuvoir |
Core Idea of the Imperfect
The imperfect focuses on:
Negative Imperfect
Negation follows the same pattern as in the present tense.
Questions in the Imperfect
Questions are formed the same way as other tenses.
Common Mistakes
- Using passé composé for habits
- Forgetting the nous-based stem
- Using the imperfect for sudden actions
- Mixing imperfect and present tense
- Take the nous form of the present tense
- Remove -ons
- Add imperfect endings
How to Form the Imperfect
The imperfect is formed using the present tense nous form of the verb.
The Irregular Verb Être
Être is the only verb with an irregular imperfect stem.
| Verb | Imperfect Form |
|---|---|
| être | j’étais, tu étais, il était, nous étions, vous étiez, ils étaient |
What Is the Imperfect Tense?
The imperfect tense (l’imparfait) describes what was happening in the past, how things used to be, or what someone was doing repeatedly. It sets the scene rather than telling what happened once.
Spelling and Stem Changes
Some verbs have spelling adjustments to keep pronunciation consistent.
- Verbs ending in -ger add an e: manger → nous mangions
- Verbs ending in -cer change c to ç: commencer → nous commencions
- Verbs with double consonants keep them: appeler → j’appelais
Example Sentences
Quand j’étais enfant, je jouais dehors.When I was a child, I used to play outside.
Il faisait beau et les gens marchaient dans la rue.The weather was nice and people were walking in the street.
Nous regardions un film quand elle a appelé.We were watching a movie when she called.
Elle ne comprenait pas la question.She did not understand the question.
Vous travailliez ici à l’époque ?Were you working here at the time?
- Je ne comprenais pas.
- Elle n’aimait pas le café.
- Nous ne sortions jamais.
- Tu travaillais ici ?
- Est-ce que vous habitiez à Paris ?
- Pourquoi il pleuvait ?
Formation Examples
- parler → nous parlons → je parlais
- finir → nous finissons → tu finissais
- vendre → nous vendons → il vendait