L'Imparfait: Complete Guide to the Imperfect Tense in French

The imparfait (imperfect) is one of the most important and frequently used past tenses in French. While the passé composé is used for completed actions, the imparfait is used for ongoing, habitual, or descriptive past actions. Mastering the imparfait is essential for telling stories, describing the past, expressing habits, and setting scenes.

This comprehensive guide will teach you everything you need to know about l'imparfait in French. You will learn how to conjugate regular and irregular verbs, when to use this tense, how to distinguish it from the passé composé, and the common mistakes to avoid. By the end, you will be able to use the imparfait with confidence.

What is the Imparfait?

The imparfait (imperfect) is a past tense used to describe:

• Ongoing actions in the past (was/were doing)
• Habitual actions in the past (used to do)
• Descriptions of people, places, and situations in the past
• Background information in storytelling
• Emotions, states of mind, and physical conditions in the past
• Simultaneous actions happening at the same time in the past

Examples:

• Je parlais français. – I was speaking French. / I used to speak French.
• Il faisait beau. – The weather was nice.
• Quand j'étais petit, j'habitais à Paris. – When I was little, I lived in Paris.

Key Points:

• The imparfait is a simple tense (one word, no auxiliary).
• It is formed from the present tense nous form of the verb.
• The endings are regular for all verbs (except être).
• It focuses on the duration, habit, or description of past actions, not their completion.

1. Formation of the Imparfait

To form the imparfait:

1. Take the nous form of the verb in the present tense.
2. Remove the -ons ending to get the stem.
3. Add the imparfait endings.

The Imparfait Endings:

Subject Pronoun	Ending
je	-ais
tu	-ais
il/elle/on	-ait
nous	-ions
vous	-iez
ils/elles	-aient

Important: These endings are the same for all verbs!

Regular Verbs:

-ER Verbs (PARLER – to speak):

• je parlais – I was speaking / I used to speak
• tu parlais – you were speaking
• il/elle/on parlait – he/she/one was speaking
• nous parlions – we were speaking
• vous parliez – you were speaking
• ils/elles parlaient – they were speaking

-IR Verbs (FINIR – to finish):

• je finissais – I was finishing
• tu finissais – you were finishing
• il/elle/on finissait – he/she/one was finishing
• nous finissions – we were finishing
• vous finissiez – you were finishing
• ils/elles finissaient – they were finishing

-RE Verbs (VENDRE – to sell):

• je vendais – I was selling
• tu vendais – you were selling
• il/elle/on vendait – he/she/one was selling
• nous vendions – we were selling
• vous vendiez – you were selling
• ils/elles vendaient – they were selling

Irregular Verbs:

Most irregular verbs follow the same rule: take the nous form in the present tense, remove -ons, and add the endings.

Exceptions:

• ÊTRE – has a completely irregular stem in the imparfait: ét-
• 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

Other Irregular Verbs (follow the regular rule):

Even irregular verbs like avoir, aller, faire, and venir follow the same rule.

• AVOIR: nous avons → av- → j'avais (I had)
• ALLER: nous allons → all- → j'allais (I was going)
• FAIRE: nous faisons → fais- → je faisais (I was doing)
• VENIR: nous venons → ven- → je venais (I was coming)
• POUVOIR: nous pouvons → pouv- → je pouvais (I was able to)
• VOULOIR: nous voulons → voul- → je voulais (I wanted)
• DEVOIR: nous devons → dev- → je devais (I had to)
• SAVOIR: nous savons → sav- → je savais (I knew)
• VOIR: nous voyons → voy- → je voyais (I was seeing)

2. When to Use the Imparfait

The imparfait is used in several specific contexts. Here is a comprehensive guide.

1. Habitual Actions in the Past (Used to...)

Use the imparfait to express actions that happened regularly or habitually in the past.

Examples:

• Quand j'étais jeune, je jouais au foot tous les jours. – When I was young, I used to play football every day.
• Elle allait à la plage chaque été. – She used to go to the beach every summer.
• Nous mangions chez ma grand-mère le dimanche. – We used to eat at my grandmother's house on Sundays.

2. Ongoing Actions in the Past (Was/Were...ing)

Use the imparfait to describe actions that were in progress in the past.

Examples:

• Je lisais quand tu as appelé. – I was reading when you called.
• Il dormait pendant le film. – He was sleeping during the movie.
• Nous marchions dans la rue quand nous l'avons vu. – We were walking in the street when we saw him.

3. Descriptions in the Past (Setting the Scene)

Use the imparfait to describe people, places, objects, and situations in the past.

Examples:

• Il faisait beau et il y avait du soleil. – The weather was nice and it was sunny.
• La maison était grande et confortable. – The house was big and comfortable.
• Elle avait les cheveux longs et blonds. – She had long blond hair.

4. Emotions, States, and Conditions in the Past

Use the imparfait to express feelings, emotions, and physical conditions in the past.

Examples:

• J'avais peur. – I was afraid.
• Elle était fatiguée. – She was tired.
• Nous avions faim. – We were hungry.
• Il croyait que c'était vrai. – He believed it was true.

5. Simultaneous Actions in the Past

Use the imparfait for two actions happening at the same time in the past.

Examples:

• Pendant que je lisais, ma sœur regardait la télé. – While I was reading, my sister was watching TV.
• Nous parlions quand il est entré. – We were talking when he entered.

6. In Si Clauses (Conditional Sentences)

The imparfait is used in the si clause of conditional sentences.

Structure:

Si + imparfait, (then) conditionnel présent

Examples:

• Si j'avais de l'argent, j'achèterais une maison. – If I had money, I would buy a house.
• Si tu venais, je serais content. – If you came, I would be happy.

3. The Imparfait vs. The Passé Composé

This is one of the most important distinctions in French grammar.

Imparfait	Passé Composé
Je parlais. – I was speaking / I used to speak.	J'ai parlé. – I spoke / I have spoken.
Ongoing, habitual, descriptive.	Completed, specific, single action.
Background information.	Main events and actions.
"Was/were doing" or "used to do."	"Did" or "have done."
Il lisait quand je suis arrivé. – He was reading when I arrived.	Il a lu le livre. – He read the book.

Key Distinction:

• Imparfait: Focuses on the duration, habit, or description of the action.
• Passé Composé: Focuses on the completion, result, or specific event.

Combining Both Tenses:

Often, both tenses are used in the same sentence:

• Je lisais (imparfait) quand il est arrivé (passé composé). – I was reading when he arrived.
• Il faisait beau (imparfait) alors nous sommes sortis (passé composé). – The weather was nice, so we went out.

4. Common Time Markers with the Imparfait

These words and phrases are often used with the imparfait.

• tous les jours – every day
• chaque jour – each day
• toutes les semaines – every week
• chaque semaine – each week
• le week-end – on weekends
• pendant – during
• quand – when
• lorsque – when
• autrefois – in the past / formerly
• avant – before
• dans le passé – in the past
• quand j'étais jeune – when I was young
• parfois – sometimes
• souvent – often
• rarement – rarely
• habituellement – usually

Examples:

• Je jouais au foot tous les jours. – I used to play football every day.
• Nous allions à la plage chaque été. – We used to go to the beach every summer.
• Quand j'étais petit, j'habitais à la campagne. – When I was little, I lived in the countryside.

5. Negation and Questions with the Imparfait

Negation:

To make a negative sentence in the imparfait, place ne before the verb and pas after the verb.

Structure:

Subject + ne + verb (imparfait) + pas + (rest)

Examples:

• Je ne parlais pas français. – I did not speak French.
• Il n'allait pas à l'école. – He did not go to school.
• Nous ne mangions pas de viande. – We did not eat meat.

Questions (Inversion):

Structure:

Verb (imparfait) + - + subject + (rest)?

Examples:

• Parleis-tu français ? – Did you speak French?
• Allait-il à l'école ? – Did he go to school?

Questions (Est-ce que):

Est-ce que + subject + verb (imparfait) + (rest)?

Examples:

• Est-ce que tu parlais français ? – Did you speak French?
• Est-ce qu'il allait à l'école ? – Did he go to school?

6. Sample Paragraphs

Example 1: Childhood Memories

Quand j'étais petit, j'habitais dans une petite maison à la campagne. Il y avait un grand jardin avec des arbres et des fleurs. Je jouais dans le jardin tous les jours avec mes amis. Nous courions, nous rigolions et nous nous amusions beaucoup. Mon père travaillait à la ville et ma mère s'occupait de la maison. C'était une vie simple et heureuse.

Translation: When I was little, I lived in a small house in the countryside. There was a big garden with trees and flowers. I used to play in the garden every day with my friends. We would run, laugh, and have a lot of fun. My father worked in the city and my mother took care of the house. It was a simple and happy life.

Example 2: A Past Routine

Chaque matin, je me levais à 7 heures. Je prenais une douche et je m'habillais. Ensuite, je prenais le petit-déjeuner avec ma famille. Je buvais du café et je mangeais des tartines. Puis, je partais pour le travail. Le trajet durait environ 30 minutes. Je lisais le journal dans le bus.

Translation: Every morning, I used to get up at 7 o'clock. I would take a shower and get dressed. Then, I would have breakfast with my family. I would drink coffee and eat bread and jam. Then, I would leave for work. The journey used to take about 30 minutes. I would read the newspaper on the bus.

7. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these frequent errors with the imparfait:

• Using the passé composé instead of the imparfait for habits: ❌ J'ai joué au foot tous les jours. → ✅ Je jouais au foot tous les jours.
• Using the imparfait for completed actions: ❌ Je lisais le livre hier. → ✅ J'ai lu le livre hier.
• Confusing the imparfait endings with the present tense endings: The imparfait has -ais, not -e or -es.
• Using the wrong stem for être: ❌ Je êtreais → ✅ J'étais (The stem for être is ét-.)
• Forgetting the "nous" form to find the stem: ❌ Je parlais (correct) – but for irregular verbs, always check the nous form.
• Using the imparfait after "si" for future actions: ❌ Si je travaillais, je gagnerai. → ✅ Si je travaille, je gagnerai. (Use present after si for future.)

8. Practice Exercises

Test your understanding with these exercises.

Exercise 1: Conjugate these verbs in the imparfait (je form).

1. parler
2. finir
3. vendre
4. être
5. avoir
6. aller

Answers: 1. je parlais, 2. je finissais, 3. je vendais, 4. j'étais, 5. j'avais, 6. j'allais

Exercise 2: Choose whether to use the imparfait or passé composé.

1. Quand j'étais petit, je ______ (jouer) au parc tous les jours.
2. Hier, je ______ (jouer) au parc avec mes amis.
3. Il ______ (pleuvoir) quand je suis sorti.
4. Elle ______ (manger) une pomme ce matin.

Answers: 1. jouais (imparfait – habit), 2. ai joué (passé composé – specific event), 3. pleuvait (imparfait – description), 4. a mangé (passé composé – completed action)

Exercise 3: Translate these sentences into French.

1. I was reading when you called.
2. She used to live in Paris.
3. When I was young, I was happy.
4. We were playing in the garden.
5. He was tired because he had worked a lot.

Answers: 1. Je lisais quand tu as appelé. 2. Elle habitait à Paris. 3. Quand j'étais jeune, j'étais heureux/heureuse. 4. Nous jouions dans le jardin. 5. Il était fatigué parce qu'il avait beaucoup travaillé.

9. Memory Tricks and Mnemonics

Here are some simple memory aids to help you remember the imparfait:

• "Imparfait = Imperfect = Unfinished" – Think of the imparfait as describing "imperfect" or "unfinished" actions.
• "Habits, Descriptions, Emotions, Ongoing actions = Imparfait" – Remember this list of uses.
• "When I was young" – Often triggers the imparfait: Quand j'étais petit...
• "The endings are -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient" – Practice these regularly.
• "For most verbs, stem = nous form minus -ons" – This rule works for all verbs except être.

10. How to Practice the Imparfait

Consistent practice is the key to mastering the imparfait. Here are some effective strategies:

• Write about your childhood in French using the imparfait.
• Describe your past routines and habits.
• Practice contrasting the imparfait and the passé composé.
• Read French texts and identify the imparfait forms.
• Listen to French podcasts and note how the imparfait is used.
• Practice with a partner: tell stories about the past.

11. Cultural Note: The Imparfait in French

The imparfait is an essential part of French storytelling and everyday conversation. It is used constantly in both spoken and written French.

In Everyday Speech:

French speakers use the imparfait frequently to describe past events, tell stories, and share memories. It is a fundamental part of conversational French.

In Literature:

The imparfait is used extensively in literature to describe scenes, characters, and habits. It creates a rich, descriptive background for the narrative.

Fun Fact:

The French word "imparfait" literally means "imperfect" – because this tense describes actions that are "imperfectly" completed!

Final Thoughts

Mastering the imparfait is essential for describing the past in French. Remember the key points:

• Formation: Stem from nous present form + endings (-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient).
• Use: Habits, ongoing actions, descriptions, emotions, simultaneous actions.
• Contrast: Imparfait for background, passé composé for completed actions.
• Exception: Être has the irregular stem ét-.
• Si clauses: Si + imparfait, conditionnel présent.

With consistent practice, using the imparfait will become second nature. The more you immerse yourself in French, the more intuitive this essential tense will become.

Ready to practice? Leave a comment below with three sentences about your childhood, your past habits, or a past description using the imparfait. We will check your grammar and provide feedback to help you perfect your skills!

Example Sentences:

• Quand j'étais petit, je jouais dans le jardin tous les jours. – When I was little, I used to play in the garden every day.
• Ma maison était grande et confortable. – My house was big and comfortable.
• Nous allions à la plage chaque été. – We used to go to the beach every summer.

Now it's your turn! Share your sentences below and let us help you master l'imparfait.