🇫🇷 L’Imparfait – Brief Tutorial
The imparfait is a French past tense used to describe ongoing, repeated, habitual, or background actions in the past. It often corresponds to “was/were doing,” “used to,” or “would” in English.
1. Formation of the Imparfait
To form the imparfait:
Step 1:
Take the nous form in the present tense.
Step 2:
Remove -ons.
Step 3:
Add the imparfait endings:
| Subject | Ending | Example: parler |
|---|---|---|
| Je | -ais | je parlais |
| Tu | -ais | tu parlais |
| Il / Elle / On | -ait | il parlait |
| Nous | -ions | nous parlions |
| Vous | -iez | vous parliez |
| Ils / Elles | -aient | ils parlaient |
Examples
Nous parlons → parl- → je parlais
Nous finissons → finiss- → je finissais
Nous prenons → pren- → je prenais
⚠️ Important Exception: Être
The verb être has an irregular stem:
ét-
- j’étais
- tu étais
- il/elle était
- nous étions
- vous étiez
- ils/elles étaient
2. Main Uses of the Imparfait
A. Habitual or Repeated Actions in the Past
Use the imparfait for actions that happened regularly.
Quand j’étais enfant, je jouais au football tous les jours.
When I was a child, I used to play football every day.
Chaque matin, elle prenait le bus pour aller à l’école.
Every morning, she used to take the bus to go to school.
B. Description in the Past
Use the imparfait to describe people, places, situations, or the weather.
La maison était grande et confortable.
The house was big and comfortable.
Il faisait beau et le soleil brillait.
The weather was nice and the sun was shining.
Elle portait une robe rouge.
She was wearing a red dress.
C. Ongoing Actions in the Past
The imparfait describes an action that was in progress.
Je lisais quand tu as téléphoné.
I was reading when you called.
Nous regardions la télévision quand quelqu’un a frappé à la porte.
We were watching television when someone knocked on the door.
👉 Here:
- Imparfait = background or ongoing action
- Passé composé = sudden or completed action
D. Age, Time, Feelings and States
The imparfait is commonly used for:
Age
Quand j’avais dix ans, je vivais à Paris.
When I was ten years old, I lived in Paris.
Feelings
J’étais très heureux.
I was very happy.
Opinions and thoughts
Je pensais que tu étais en vacances.
I thought that you were on holiday.
Physical or mental states
Elle avait peur et ne voulait pas sortir.
She was afraid and did not want to go out.
E. Two Actions Happening Simultaneously
Pendant que je travaillais, ma sœur préparait le dîner.
While I was working, my sister was preparing dinner.
Pendant que les enfants jouaient, les parents discutaient.
While the children were playing, the parents were talking.
3. Imparfait vs Passé Composé
This is one of the most important differences in French.
| Imparfait | Passé composé |
|---|---|
| Habitual action | Completed action |
| Description | Specific event |
| Ongoing action | Sudden/interrupted action |
| Background | Main event |
Example:
Je marchais dans la rue quand j’ai vu mon ami.
- Je marchais → I was walking (ongoing/background)
- J’ai vu → I saw (specific completed event)
Another example:
Il pleuvait quand nous sommes arrivés.
It was raining when we arrived.
4. Supporting Words and Phrases
These expressions are often used with the imparfait:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| autrefois | in the past / formerly |
| avant | before |
| à l’époque | at that time |
| à cette époque-là | at that time |
| dans le passé | in the past |
| quand j’étais petit(e) | when I was young |
| lorsque j’étais enfant | when I was a child |
| autrefois | formerly |
| auparavant | previously |
| tous les jours | every day |
| chaque jour | each day |
| chaque matin | every morning |
| chaque soir | every evening |
| tous les matins | every morning |
| tous les soirs | every evening |
| souvent | often |
| toujours | always |
| parfois | sometimes |
| de temps en temps | from time to time |
| généralement | generally |
| habituellement | usually |
| d’habitude | usually |
| pendant que | while |
| tandis que | while / whereas |
| autrefois | in former times |
| en ce temps-là | in those days |
| à ce moment-là | at that moment |
⚠️ These words do not automatically require the imparfait, but they are frequently associated with its uses.
5. More Examples
- Avant, je travaillais dans une petite entreprise.
Before, I used to work in a small company. - Tous les étés, nous allions à la montagne.
Every summer, we used to go to the mountains. - Quand j’étais étudiant, je n’avais pas beaucoup d’argent.
When I was a student, I did not have much money. - Il faisait froid et il neigeait.
It was cold and it was snowing. - Je dormais quand le téléphone a sonné.
I was sleeping when the telephone rang. - Pendant que nous mangions, les enfants regardaient la télévision.
While we were eating, the children were watching television. - Chaque dimanche, mes grands-parents venaient nous rendre visite.
Every Sunday, my grandparents used to come and visit us. - À l’époque, les gens communiquaient davantage par téléphone.
At that time, people communicated more by telephone. - Elle voulait devenir médecin.
She wanted to become a doctor. - Nous pensions souvent à notre avenir.
We often thought about our future.
🎯 Easy Rule to Remember
Use the imparfait when you are talking about:
Habits + Descriptions + Ongoing actions + Feelings/States + Background
Simple formula:
Nous form – ons + ais, ais, ait, ions, iez, aient
Example:
Nous parlons → parl- → je parlais
🔎
Learn the French imparfait with this simple guide. Discover its formation, main uses, examples, supporting phrases, and the difference between imparfait and passé composé.
Apprenez l’imparfait en français : formation, utilisations, exemples, expressions fréquentes et différence entre l’imparfait et le passé composé. Un guide simple pour les apprenants de français.
🔑
French imparfait, imparfait français, imparfait conjugation, imparfait examples, how to use imparfait, French past tense, imparfait vs passé composé, French grammar, French conjugation, learn French grammar, French B1 grammar, French A2 grammar, French past tenses, imparfait formation, imparfait uses, French habitual past, French descriptions in the past, French grammar tutorial, apprendre l’imparfait, conjugaison imparfait, cours de français, grammaire française
