Imperfect tense: Grammar in context
The imperfect tense (l'imparfait) describes ongoing, repeated or habitual actions in the past, sets the scene with descriptions, and expresses what things were like or what someone used to do, in contrast with the perfect tense's single completed actions. It is formed from the present-tense 'nous' form of the verb: remove the -ons ending to find the imperfect stem, then add a fixed set of endings that is the same for every verb except être, whose stem is irregular (ét-).
Before you start
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Method
- Take the present-tense nous form of the verb and remove -ons to find the imperfect stem: nous parlons becomes parl-, nous finissons becomes finiss-, nous avons becomes av-, nous faisons becomes fais-.
- Add the imperfect endings, which are identical for every verb: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient, as in je parlais, tu parlais, il parlait, nous parlions, vous parliez, ils parlaient.
- Learn the one true irregular stem: être uses ét- (j'étais, tu étais, il était, nous étions, vous étiez, ils étaient); every other verb follows the nous-minus-ons rule, including avoir (av-) and faire (fais-).
- Watch spelling-change verbs: -ger verbs keep the extra e before endings starting with a to keep the g soft (je mangeais, but nous mangions with no extra e), and -cer verbs take a cedilla before those same endings (je commençais, but nous commencions).
- Use the imperfect for description in the past (il faisait beau, elle avait les yeux bleus), for habitual or repeated actions (tous les jours, je jouais au foot), and for 'was/were doing' when interrupted by a single event in the perfect tense (je regardais la télévision quand le téléphone a sonné).
- Recognise the time expressions that signal the imperfect rather than the perfect: d'habitude, tous les jours, autrefois, quand j'étais petit(e), toujours.
Worked example
Put the verb in brackets into the imperfect tense: Quand j'(être) petit, j'(habiter) à la campagne avec mes grands-parents. Nous (aller) à la pêche tous les samedis et il y (avoir) toujours du soleil.
- 'être' with je uses the irregular stem ét- plus -ais: j'étais.
- 'habiter' with je is a regular -er verb; the stem from nous habitons is habit-, plus -ais: j'habitais.
- 'aller' with nous uses the stem from nous allons, all-, plus -ions: nous allions.
- 'avoir' in the impersonal expression il y a uses the stem av- plus -ait: il y avait.
- Full sentence: Quand j'étais petit, j'habitais à la campagne avec mes grands-parents. Nous allions à la pêche tous les samedis et il y avait toujours du soleil.
Practice questions
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Q1Give the imperfect stem of 'finir'.Show answer
Answer: finiss- (from nous finissons).
Q2Conjugate 'être' in the tu form of the imperfect.Show answer
Answer: tu étais.
Q3Complete: Quand elle était jeune, elle ______ (jouer) du piano tous les jours.Show answer
Answer: jouait.
Q4Explain why 'nous mangions' has no extra e, while 'je mangeais' does.Show answer
Answer: The extra e is only needed to keep the g soft before an ending that starts with a; -ions starts with i, which already keeps the g soft, so no extra e is needed there, unlike before -ais, -ait or -aient.
Q5Translate: 'It was raining and I was watching TV.'Show answer
Answer: Il pleuvait et je regardais la télévision.
Q6Spot and correct the error: 'Quand j'etais petit, j'habitait à Paris.'Show answer
Answer: It should be j'habitais, not j'habitait: Quand j'étais petit, j'habitais à Paris.
Q7Give the nous form of the imperfect of 'avoir'.Show answer
Answer: nous avions.
Q8Which past tense would you use for 'I used to play tennis every Sunday': the perfect or the imperfect?Show answer
Answer: The imperfect, because it describes a repeated, habitual action in the past.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE French exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Translate this passage into English: Quand j'étais petite, ma famille et moi habitions dans un petit village. Il y avait une seule école et tout le monde se connaissait. Le dimanche, mes parents faisaient toujours un grand repas et mes cousins venaient souvent nous rendre visite.
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Translate this passage into French: When I was young, I used to live in London with my grandparents. Every Saturday, we used to go to the market and my grandmother always made a delicious cake. It was a happy time.
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