Imparfait
What is Imparfait?
The imperfect (l'imparfait) is a past tense used to describe continuous or habitual past actions or states. It is also employed for descriptions in the past.
How to form the Imparfait?
To form the imparfait, drop the -ons ending from the “nous” form of the present tense (both regular and irregular verbs), and add the endings:
-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.
There are some irregular forms:
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For “être”: j’étais, tu étais, il/elle était, nous étions, vous étiez, ils/elles étaient.
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For verbs ending in -ger, insert an -e- before the ending when the ending starts with the letter -a or -o. Example: manger ⇒ je mangeais
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For verbs ending in -cer, change -c- to -ç- before -a or -o. Example: commencer ⇒ je commençais
How to use the Imparfait?
The imparfait has several equivalents in English, such as "I finished," "I was finishing," "I used to finish," or "I would (= used to) finish" for "Je finissais."
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"I finished my work every day before lunchtime." ⇒ "Je finissais mon travail tous les jours avant l'heure du déjeuner."
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"I was finishing my dinner when the phone rang." ⇒ "Je finissais mon dîner quand le téléphone a sonné.”
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"I used to finish my homework before dinner." ⇒ "Je finissais mes devoirs avant le dîner.”
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"I would finish my work early so I could spend time with my family." ⇒ "Je finissais mon travail tôt pour pouvoir passer du temps avec ma famille."
Similarly, "Nous étions" can mean "we were" or "we used to be."
To Describe a Scene or a Context : Used to set a scene or describe a continuous situation in the past. Example, C'était une soirée d’hiver. Dehors, il neigeait et il faisait froid. (It was a winter evening. Outside, it was snowing and it was cold.)
For Routines and Habitual Past Actions: Describing actions that occurred regularly or habitually in the past. Example, Chaque matin, je buvais un café avant d'aller travailler. (Every morning, I used to drink a coffee before going to work.)
To Describe Feelings and Mental or Emotional States in the Past: Example, Il se sentait perdu et déprimé après avoir perdu son emploi. (He felt lost and depressed after losing his job.)
To Tell Time of Day or to Express Age in the Past: Example, Il était minuit lorsque nous avons décidé de rentrer à la maison. (It was midnight when we decided to go home.) Or Elle avait vingt-cinq ans quand elle a déménagé dans cette ville. (She was twenty-five years old when she moved to this city.)
To Describe an Action or Situation That Was Happening When Another Event (Usually in the Passé Composé) Interrupted It: Example, Je travaillais sur mon projet lorsque mon patron m'a appelé pour une réunion urgente. (I was working on my project when my boss called me for an urgent meeting.)
Dynamic between Passé Composé and Imparfait:
In narrative contexts, the imparfait sets the scene, describes ongoing or habitual actions, and provides background information, while the passé composé highlights specific actions or a sequence of events that occurred within that context. The choice between the passé composé and the imparfait also depends on your perception of the past event.
Example:
Il était 19h (time) et je travaillais encore (ongoing action) au bureau. Je rentrais toujours tôt (habit) avant de recevoir ma promotion. La nuit tombait (scene description) et je me sentais fatigué (general feeling) mais je voulais (general feeling) envoyer un dernier email avant de partir. Un peu plus tard, j’ai commandé un taxi puis j’ai appelé l’ascenseur (sequence of events). Je regardais (interrupted context) mon téléphone portable quand un inconnu est rentré (interrupting action) dans l’ascenseur à l’étage du dessous. J’avais un peu peur (emotion) parce que j’étais seul avec lui et qu’il avait l’air dangereux (scene description). Je prenais toujours les escaliers d’habitude (habit). Il m’a montré son badge puis s’est présenté comme le nouveau gardien de l’immeuble (sequence of events).
It was 7:00 PM, and I was still working at the office. I used to leave early before receiving my promotion. Night was falling, and I was feeling tired, but I wanted to send one last email before leaving. A little later, I ordered a taxi and then called the elevator. I was looking at my cell phone when a stranger entered the elevator from the floor below. I was a little scared because I was alone with him, and he looked dangerous. I would usually take the stairs. He showed me his badge and introduced himself as the new building caretaker.
