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What is the French Imparfait?
The French imparfait (imperfect tense) describes ongoing, habitual, or background actions in the past. Unlike the passé composé, which expresses completed actions, the imparfait paints a picture of what was happening or what used to happen.
The imparfait is essential for storytelling, describing past habits, and setting the scene in narratives. It's equivalent to "was/were + -ing" or "used to" in English.
Examples
Je parlais avec mon ami.
I was talking with my friend. (ongoing action)
Quand j'étais petit, je jouais au football.
When I was little, I used to play football. (past habit)
Il faisait beau ce jour-là.
The weather was nice that day. (background description)
Imparfait Formation
The imparfait is one of the most regular tenses in French. It's formed by taking the nous form of the present tense, removing -ons, and adding imparfait endings.
Formula: nous form - ons + imparfait endings
Example: nous parlons → parl- → je parlais
Imparfait Endings
All French verbs use the same imparfait endings, regardless of their group:
Imparfait Endings (All Verbs)
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | -ais | I was/used to |
| tu | -ais | you were/used to |
| il/elle/on | -ait | he/she/one was/used to |
| nous | -ions | we were/used to |
| vous | -iez | you were/used to |
| ils/elles | -aient | they were/used to |
Je parlais, tu parlais, il parlait...
I was speaking, you were speaking, he was speaking...
Regular Verb Examples
Here are examples of imparfait formation for each verb group:
Parler (to speak) - Imparfait
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | parlais | I was speaking/used to speak |
| tu | parlais | you were speaking/used to speak |
| il/elle/on | parlait | he/she/one was speaking/used to speak |
| nous | parlions | we were speaking/used to speak |
| vous | parliez | you were speaking/used to speak |
| ils/elles | parlaient | they were speaking/used to speak |
Je finissais mes devoirs.
I was finishing my homework. (finir → finissais)
Nous vendions notre voiture.
We were selling our car. (vendre → vendions)
Irregular Verbs in Imparfait
Most verbs follow the regular formation pattern, but there are a few important exceptions:
Être (to be) - Only Irregular Verb
Être is the only truly irregular verb in the imparfait:
Être (to be) - Imparfait
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| j' | étais | I was |
| tu | étais | you were |
| il/elle/on | était | he/she/one was |
| nous | étions | we were |
| vous | étiez | you were |
| ils/elles | étaient | they were |
J'étais très fatigué.
I was very tired.
Nous étions en vacances.
We were on vacation.
Verbs with Spelling Changes
Some verbs have spelling changes in the imparfait to maintain pronunciation:
Spelling Changes in Imparfait
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| manger → nous mangions | je mangeais | I was eating (keep -e-) |
| commencer → nous commencions | je commençais | I was starting (ç before -a-) |
| étudier → nous étudiions | j'étudiais | I was studying (double -i-) |
Nous mangions au restaurant.
We were eating at the restaurant.
Je commençais à comprendre.
I was starting to understand.
Uses of the Imparfait
The imparfait has several specific uses that distinguish it from other past tenses:
1. Ongoing actions: What was happening at a specific moment
2. Habitual actions: What used to happen regularly
3. Background descriptions: Setting the scene
4. Physical/mental states: How someone felt or appeared
5. Time and age: Telling time or age in the past
Examples
Je lisais quand tu as appelé.
I was reading when you called. (ongoing action)
Tous les étés, nous allions à la plage.
Every summer, we used to go to the beach. (habitual)
Il faisait froid et il pleuvait.
It was cold and it was raining. (background)
Elle était très heureuse.
She was very happy. (mental state)
Il était trois heures.
It was three o'clock. (time)
Imparfait vs Passé Composé
Understanding when to use imparfait versus passé composé is crucial for correct French expression:
Imparfait: Ongoing, habitual, background, descriptions
Passé Composé: Completed, specific, sequential actions
Often both tenses appear in the same sentence to show the relationship between ongoing and completed actions.
Examples
Je dormais quand le téléphone a sonné.
I was sleeping when the phone rang. (ongoing + completed)
Hier, il pleuvait, alors je suis resté à la maison.
Yesterday it was raining, so I stayed home. (background + decision)
Quand j'étais petit, j'ai cassé ma jambe.
When I was little, I broke my leg. (background + specific event)
Elle portait une robe rouge et elle souriait.
She was wearing a red dress and she was smiling. (descriptions)
Common Time Expressions with Imparfait
Certain time expressions often signal the use of imparfait:
Habitual: tous les jours, chaque semaine, souvent, toujours, d'habitude
Background: pendant que, tandis que, comme
Descriptive: à cette époque, en ce temps-là, autrefois
These expressions help you recognize when to use imparfait in context.
Examples
Tous les matins, je prenais le bus.
Every morning, I used to take the bus.
Pendant que je cuisinais, il regardait la télé.
While I was cooking, he was watching TV.
À cette époque, nous habitions à Lyon.
At that time, we lived in Lyon.
Autrefois, les gens voyageaient moins.
In the past, people used to travel less.
Storytelling with Imparfait
The imparfait is essential for storytelling in French. It sets the scene, describes characters, and provides background information, while the passé composé moves the story forward with specific events.
Pattern: Imparfait for description + Passé composé for action
This creates vivid, engaging narratives in French.
Examples
Il était une fois une princesse qui habitait dans un château.
Once upon a time there was a princess who lived in a castle.
Le soleil brillait et les oiseaux chantaient quand soudain...
The sun was shining and the birds were singing when suddenly...
Nous nous promenions dans le parc quand nous avons vu un accident.
We were walking in the park when we saw an accident.