L’Imparfait (The French Imperfect Tense)
The imparfait is one of the most important past tenses in French. It is used to describe ongoing actions, habitual events, background information, and states in the past. Unlike the passé composé, which focuses on completed actions, the imparfait emphasizes what was happening, used to happen, or was true in the past.
When to Use the Imparfait
1. To Describe Past Habits
Use the imparfait for actions that happened regularly or repeatedly in the past.
Examples:
- Quand j’étais enfant, je jouais dans le jardin tous les jours.
When I was a child, I used to play in the garden every day. - Nous allions à la plage chaque été.
We used to go to the beach every summer.
2. To Describe Ongoing Actions in the Past
Use the imparfait for actions that were in progress at a particular moment in the past.
Examples:
- Je lisais un livre quand tu as appelé.
I was reading a book when you called. - Ils regardaient la télévision à huit heures.
They were watching television at eight o’clock.
3. To Describe People, Places, or Situations
The imparfait is used to provide background descriptions.
Examples:
- Il faisait froid et le ciel était gris.
It was cold and the sky was gray. - La maison était très grande.
The house was very big.
4. To Express Feelings, Thoughts, or Physical States
Use the imparfait to describe emotions, opinions, age, health, or physical conditions in the past.
Examples:
- J’avais faim.
I was hungry. - Elle était heureuse.
She was happy. - Nous pensions que c’était une bonne idée.
We thought it was a good idea.
5. For Two Simultaneous Actions
When two actions were happening at the same time, both verbs are usually in the imparfait.
Examples:
- Pendant que je cuisinais, mon frère faisait ses devoirs.
While I was cooking, my brother was doing his homework. - Ils parlaient pendant que la pluie tombait.
They were talking while it was raining.
How to Form the Imparfait
The imparfait is formed by:
- Taking the nous form of the present tense.
- Removing -ons to find the stem.
- Adding the imperfect endings.
Endings
| Subject | Ending |
|---|---|
| Je | -ais |
| Tu | -ais |
| Il / Elle / On | -ait |
| Nous | -ions |
| Vous | -iez |
| Ils / Elles | -aient |
These endings are the same for almost all French verbs.
Examples
Parler (to speak)
| Subject | Conjugation |
| Je | parlais |
| Tu | parlais |
| Il / Elle / On | parlait |
| Nous | parlions |
| Vous | parliez |
| Ils / Elles | parlaient |
Finir (to finish)
| Subject | Conjugation |
| Je | finissais |
| Tu | finissais |
| Il / Elle / On | finissait |
| Nous | finissions |
| Vous | finissiez |
| Ils / Elles | finissaient |
Vendre (to sell)
| Subject | Conjugation |
| Je | vendais |
| Tu | vendais |
| Il / Elle / On | vendait |
| Nous | vendions |
| Vous | vendiez |
| Ils / Elles | vendaient |
Irregular Verb: Être
The verb être is the only irregular verb in the imparfait. Its stem is ét-.
| Subject | Conjugation |
| J’ | étais |
| Tu | étais |
| Il / Elle / On | était |
| Nous | étions |
| Vous | étiez |
| Ils / Elles | étaient |
Example:
- Nous étions très fatigués après le voyage.
We were very tired after the trip.
Spelling Changes
Some verbs keep spelling changes to preserve pronunciation.
Verbs Ending in -ger
The e is kept before a to maintain the soft g sound.
Example: manger
- je mangeais
- tu mangeais
- il mangeait
- nous mangions
- vous mangiez
- ils mangeaient
Verbs Ending in -cer
The c becomes ç before a to preserve the soft c sound.
Example: commencer
- je commençais
- tu commençais
- il commençait
- nous commencions
- vous commenciez
- ils commençaient
Negative Sentences
Place ne…pas around the verb.
Examples:
- Je ne travaillais pas le dimanche.
I didn’t work on Sundays. - Ils n’étaient pas prêts.
They were not ready.
Common Time Expressions
The imparfait is often used with:
- autrefois — formerly
- avant — before
- à cette époque — at that time
- chaque jour — every day
- d’habitude — usually
- souvent — often
- toujours — always
- quand j’étais petit(e) — when I was young
Examples:
- Autrefois, les gens écrivaient des lettres.
- Chaque dimanche, nous rendions visite à nos grands-parents.
Imparfait vs Passé Composé
| Imparfait | Passé Composé |
| Describes ongoing or habitual actions | Describes completed actions |
| Gives background information | Moves the story forward |
| Focuses on duration | Focuses on completion |
Example:
- Je regardais la télévision quand le téléphone a sonné.
I was watching television when the phone rang.
Here:
- regardais (imparfait) = ongoing action
- a sonné (passé composé) = completed action that interrupted it.
Summary
The imparfait is used to describe past habits, ongoing actions, descriptions, emotions, and background information. It is formed from the nous stem of the present tense by removing -ons and adding the endings -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. Mastering the imparfait and understanding when to use it instead of the passé composé is essential for speaking and writing natural French.